The Silence of a Serpent
by ElSlick
Summary: Tension rises when the Kingdom of Midpoint breaks in two when the King dies, the twin brothers born on the same day declare themselves the true king, thus the Kingdom of Midpoint is divided into two, Northpoint & Southpoint. During this, across the Crossers bay, In Paslus, a group of recently Exiled soldiers investigate why the Illagers have been silent for a while now.
1. Prologue

To get a better understanding of how the map looks like I created a map with (Azgaar's Fantasy Map generator)

Map: (due to FF not allowing links) the image is in Imgur, Search up the username LatinBird & It'll be the image named "Silence of a serpent"

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"By my decree I declare Paslus to free from the grip of the BlackPalm Empire. It shall be its own Empire or kingdoms if need be. Those wrongfully convicted in the prison Island may return to Versillia. Those of high rank in the BlackPalm Empire's army will be exiled to the Island and live out your days there. Never to return to Versilia. Do not worry, your families may come along with you if they would like but you may not force them, not under my new rule. Supplies will be sent to help with your construction on building something new for yourselves."

－**_Letters of Jaxel Speer after the siege of Shadow Fortress and declaring himself the new Emperor. 160 R.D_**

The warmth of the sun shined on their faces; it gave a good relive to feel some warmth from the everlasting cold the North gives out. The last remains of snow melt into the ground revealing the brown soil with green grass; forest trees begin to grow back their beloved leaves again. The days of burning cold winds are behind them for now, the men knew it, and clear as day…spring has arrived.

"On your feet, lads." Toric said filling his Gourd from the river.

"The mission isn't over yet. We still have to find the Illagers and see why they haven't attacked the Border in months."

"Then let's leave it at that, maybe the savages finally became civilized, we should head back home." Roman lazily said laying on a tree stump.

"You've gotten lazy over the past months Roman, we all have." Veric mockingly stated staring towards Derek eating wild berries from his horse while staring off into the distance from the hill they rested on. It was high enough to have the Lonely Mountain's tips show from above the tree line, Derek starred ignoring his surroundings, eating his fill of wild berries and letting the juices flow through his grey beard with dripping on the ends.

"By the End, The old Derek would be disappointed with you, Derek." Veric said disgustingly. The lack of Border attacks had gotten the worst of Derek out of the six man party. Once a decorated solider from the Blackpalm Empire, now exiled to Estovia after the Rebels won the war; now reaching the ripe age of fifty-two with a plump belly and a receding hair line cursed him as well.

"By the dragon, some wine would be good right now." Derek said lost in thought.

Toric readied his saddle looking over to Roman squatting up with Piper beside him, she was a slim girl not shy of some muscle yet both, no younger than seventeen; equally matched in skill with weapons as well. Orphaned during the Rebellion against the Empire of Blackpalm in Versilia, both Piper and Roman, along with many orphans of the war were sent to Estovia. Piper was the daughter of a vanguard soldier named Renly whom Toric knew closely; he can still see some of Renly's features in Piper, she had his round face, orange hair, light freckles across her nose and blue eyes. She was adopted by a blacksmith family in BlackHarbor, although instead of picking up a hammer, she picked up a sword at age ten and trained with the exiled soldiers of Blackpalm who now guard most of the West of Estovia along with the Border Gate. From her training at the Border Gate Fort came exiled general Roland Hothworth, commander of the Border Gate Fort; he taught her everything he could teach her of sword fighting along with his adopted child Roman, whom trained alongside Piper. Both went through the hardships of training with Roland but both out came the sweat and tears, now they wield their weapons with precision and accuracy, although decision making were up to them to learn.

"Could you rest when we're not in dangerous lands, Roman?" Piper asked.

"Dangerous lands? When Roman Hothworth roams about in the Wildlands, I become the danger." Roman laughed. He quickly grabbed Piper by the waist leaning her back, giving her no time to react, "Don't worry Piper, if you get caught in danger you can always call to Roman to save you." Roman winked.

Piper pulled her dirk out from her leather sheath placing the edged blade near Romans inner thigh carefully not trying to cut him from the embarrassment of trying to woo her , "Next time you do that _shitworth_, I'll cut your precious pecker off." Smiled Piper.

Jokingly, Roman pulled away with an ending bow off Piper turning to his horse with all the other men who laughed at their _lovers quarrel_ as they sometimes call it.

"Quit fooling around, we have a job to do and I intend to head back to the fort, _alive_." Said Norge returning up the steep pathway from his scouting.

"No sign of them, no tracks, no camp fires within fifty miles from here. We have another hundred miles to tread before hitting the end of this river; we head back home if we get no contact from them. We'll have to bring more men if we want to venture out further in."

Toric patted Norge's shoulder in a gesture of gratitude for his scouting, Norge might've been a big lad past the age of forty; his hair gifted with the color of amber with green eyes but by all means can the man quietly come behind somebody and stab them before they can realize it. In truth Norge was one of the best scouts in the Blackpalm Empire before he was bombarded with dynamite a special weapon used by the rebels, now Norge wears a black leather mouth cover strapped mouth – to - neck covering some of his chin too; he wears it at all times to hide his hideous scars from the war he lost, seventeen years of bitterness since.

Rays of sunshine hit the dark black hair of Roman, he took in the breeze of the fresh spring wind touching his face as it passed him through their steep river path. They've traveled since Morning; afternoon came once they left their resting hill yet time never stopped from them, their guards rose every minute that the woods get darker and the glimmer of the river bank shrink with it.

Norge stopped them, he didn't like risks no matter what, the darkness of the woods have crept up, and night time arrived with only sixty miles covered. _Ambushes may arise from any side_ he thought. Continuing on foot was best in his sense as hoofs tend to speak louder than footsteps. The threat of a Illagers hearing the hoofs is something Norge did not want to intake along with the sense of threat of some loose cannibals venturing far off their own forest, its happened before. Groups of three of two spread out a mile from each other throughout the woods with forty miles to cover by foot. Veric moved alongside nearest to the river bank with Derek, keeping up at his best with muffled huffs and puffs, Toric treaded among the main pathway leading Roman with him, Norge lead Piper in the far end of them. Their footsteps crept silently has it became harder to see past the dark forest, miles of darkness covered from where they dismounted and not a sign of life.

Crickets won't arrive until late spring to bring out the sound of the forest but instead have the branches under their feet crack with every few steps; lighting a torch would be too risky for this kind of situation, silent forest of pure darkness and an enemy sees the torch light, they'd be giving them a warning sign to run away or catch them by surprise basically. Stag grunts heard off in the distance yet no presence of Illager life, they regrouped in the main pathway; finishing their designated mile limit, none found anything except for Veric who called behind a large bush, he found an abandoned campsite by the end of the river bank.

"It's crazy I tell you, nobody. Fookin nobody. Food left to rot, salted pork ruined, what mad man would leave such a thing behind?" Cried Derek.

They reached the location Veric lead them to, the camp was set between the river end a few feet of a water gap but quite deep in; tents pitched up with no warmness inside them filled with caches of meat, it seemed big enough for a party of ten people. Toric opened a barrel inside a leather tent positioned far side of the camp, the stench of it gave Toric a quick gag before dumping it in the ground for a quick look around. Salted red rotten meat laid about filling the tent of a nasty odor. A piece of an undefined color lost in the red sea of meat caught Toric's eye, knelling down to grab it for closer inspection; cold sweat poured down his cheek as he held close to face.

Toric held the item high from his head as he exited out the tent,

Everyone watched as he held the _human finger_ high up. "Human meat." Toric said.

"This isn't salted pork, Derek. None of this meat caches are of animal meat. It's all human."

"What are cannibals doing so far out of their woods. Let alone camp?" Piper asked gaging away from the meat cache she opened.

West side of the camp laid scattered meat & blood splatters hidden in the darkness of the field too hard to see without closer inspection, Veric examined thoroughly. A boot lied beneath what could have been a chunk of a poor souls thigh, curious in fact, the tracks went West instead of East where the Border Gate stands. _But why _Veric thought, Cannibals are very unlike themselves to camp this far off from their woods; Cannibals venturing off this far is one thing but to camp felt too odd for Veric to point out.

"I think they were afraid…they came here to get away from something…I don't think it worked out for them." Norge proclaimed as he examined the same scattered meat Veric was examining.

Norge knew cannibals were fiercer and harder fighters compared to Illagers, to have cannibals fleeing from something worried Norge.

"We should go back, we ventured far enough. Any farther and we might end up surrounded by hundreds of cannibals and I know for sure they'll eat me first." Derek said tired from the long night.

"You're right, we should report this back to Commander Rola-." Veric stopped his words as the grunts of a creature came closer from the shadows of the southern woods.

It voiced something human yet nothing any of them have heard before; it emerged from the shadows, touching the moon light of the open camp area, a green rotten face, patchy hair and maggot filled eye sockets, a tall bulky figure laced with missing cloth of its green cloak & brown tunic, its brown pants burnt of ashy black ends and a missing bot in its right foot. In hand, a Flail proposed of a blooded iron spiked ball with an iron covered wood handle.

All stood still with swords in hand hesitate to make a move to a creature they've never seen before. Though the creature limped slowly towards them, its flail chain length – longer than its handle gave weary caution to everyone, dare attack recklessly to someone with a flail & it'll come swing behind your back and none brought shields with them, a reckless mistake by them to not bring an important piece of equipment for the mission.

"Fook me, what do we do now? We can't fookin' attack it head on!" screamed Derek, annoyed by the lack of shields they didn't bring.

"Calm your nerves. Use the trees, we must let it swing first. The creature will lunge its flail's head and trap it the bark." Norge urged closing to a tree he was closest to.

The cold air of the night crept in their nervous sweat, eyes crossed back to forth amongst each other; awaiting to see who the creature would choose attack. It limped, howling growls of humanoid sounds from its maggot filled mouth, sounds of pudgy flesh puss squeezed with every step it took, the sort of sounds you hear when smashing bugs beneath your feet.

It chose its target, Piper & Roman, hugging the same tree, preparing themselves to dodge the incoming swing. The creature gave a slight jump bringing its flail downward from atop its head; Piper threw herself belly first into the ground away from the impact turning in disbelief, Norge's plan failed to succeed, the creature had some intelligence to it turns out.

In the open field Piper found herself now, no other option but to fight for her life against the creature. Others came to surround the creature, screeching at them a deathly howl; turning and shifting its head around the others; frozen it was, prepared to counter attack, waiting for an attack to face it, a bait of sorts.

"What now? It's waiting for us to attack it." Said Piper crawling back up from the ground "We can't use the trees, it knows what we want it to do with that."

"Quit your sniffling little girl." Norge replied.

Roman approached it slightly,

"What the fuck are you doing boy, get back!" commanded Norge.

Roman looked foolish to Norge, a cocky boy who thought himself to be a great warrior stepping up to a unknown creature as if challenging it to a duel.

Its eyeless sockets stared at Roman grunting with every step he took, Norge followed up with his approach as well, he had no other choice but to follow Roman's foolish decisions; others followed with them.

"This is a shit idea." Muttered Veric.

Close enough the creature howled its screech once more swinging its flail against Roman's side, he swayed back to dodge yet leveled the edge of the sword which was leaned forward to catch the connected chains of the flail spinning around his blade. Roman pulled closer pulling out his dirk from its sheath digging it into the creature's right eye socket. Its grunts and howls faded with the sharp steel sliding out of its socket dropping like a ragdoll, broken bones of pulled out flesh came about in its impact. Everyone took a breather, never in their lives have they seen something like this, the unknown left them uncertain of what to do but not for Roman, his _I can pull anything in a fight_ attitude gave him a confidant boost in fights pulling off stunts that some would call impressive but most would call it _dumb luck. _

Norge infuriated with Roman heavily walked towards him with every step feeling the tremble of them, he pulled Roman by his neck holds of his tunic,

"You think you're some kind of warrior ignoring my command, Hothworth? You're lucky little stunt could've gotten you killed you t'wat. Just because you've killed a few Illagers in your few years of ranging doesn't make you a warrior, next time, you'll lose your live." Roman stared back into Norge's eyes unflinched of his anger.

"Let the kid go." Veric said squatting next to the creature.

Norge unclenched Romans neck holds turning to the dead creature beside them.

"It's an undead…a zombie in fact." claimed Toric.

"Zombies? Those only reside in Eupira along with the other disgusting monsters." Said Piper scratching her head.

Curiosity hit them wondering why a monster originally from Eupira would be in the land of Paslus, three hundred miles of sea separated Eupira & Paslus from their closest lands. Norge gave the command to bring the rotten monster back to Estovia, it'll show as prove of their findings and willingness of the scholar at BlackHarbor to give them the answers they need.

Tied by hands to feet, Roman, ordered by Norge to carry it back to their horses, it was to be covered with a cloak once there. Piper paced behind Roman in case of falling behind the pack dragging the body by rope. The darkness of the forest still lingered around them. Silent once again, not even the stags grunted anymore; moonlight still shined from above, the Full moon still visible in the sky from passing clouds. Fatigue crept on everyone, they'll have to make camp soon; hoping for a restful sleep of no interruptions of the living dead.


	2. Varus

"I denounce my family name. I am no longer King Quillic of House Jagarn but now…Quillic Pride, Emperor of the Polaris Empire. May my Empire and name last generations and only fall under its own glorious Pride!"

**_－Emperor Quillic coronation. 982 F.E_**

The sweat poured down Varus's eyebrow wiping it off against his rolled up black cotton sleeves, the sweat left the sleeve damp forcing Varus to use his other sleeve the next time for a swipe.

The spring heat invaded Korpus once again for its annual cycle and the people of Korpus wear silk clothing & fabrics of bright colors keeping them cool, although the spring heat isn't too bad for the people of Korpus; it is foreign to Varus. His cotton clothes has left him sweating in the heat inside the Serpent Castle's meeting chambers, decorated with the banners of the greenish-gold serpent hugging its scimitar of the Kingdom of Korpus. They sat on sandstone chairs of white wool cushioned seats stationed in front of a granite table embroidered with gold trimmings in the edges with a gold Serpent on four of its sides.

"Drink some." Marcus said pouring wine from a flagon to a tankard.

"Are you joking? Wine? We'll dehydrate before we know it. Put that down & grab some water." Varus said softly pushing the tankard away.

The room stayed silent only for Marcus's footsteps to be heard & Varus's brown cotton trousers rustling as he bounces his leg on his seat. Marcus brought back two tankards of water for both of them, another still moment of silence as they looked straight at the door waiting for Emir, son of Fale Dune & second youngest of his three sons who owns the Serpent castle.

"We've been here since morning." Varus said impatiently slicking back his dark brown hair damped of sweat. Marcus did the same but decided to tie his long black hair back with a leather strip from his pockets of his boiled black leather tunic. Now the sweat poured down his blue eyes and short stubble. In truth, the heat was worse for Marcus than it was for Varus with his black leather on.

Although the same age of twenty, Varus and Marcus have been together since young kids in IlliacPole. Age fifteen it was when they met each other. A boy raised by a King left to wonder the libraries of his city, studying about the how the world worked and strategic battle plans of days old when Eupira was controlled by the Empire of Polaris and a boy raised by a noble house, training to become a knight for his kingdom, training alongside Varus's brother Larus. They followed strategies planned by Varus himself to take out small groups of monsters lurking about the kingdom of Midpoint. Monsters who still lurked around Eupira after the Red Dawn. Varus's plans became successful and over the years people followed his plans in confidence knowing who it was who planned it. Years passed as they rose through the ranks, Larus & Marcus became the best men to swing swords for IlliacPole becoming known all around and Varus; the best known strategist all around the kingdom, the soldiers loved them. It was until Varus's father's death when Midpoint split in half. The twins thought themselves the rightful rulers of Midpoint and Marcus choice to go with Varus.

Varus walked around the room out of boredom. He took note & examined the table of granite to see the much finer detail of its work & craftsmanship; Varus was impressed with it, a fine table as this would be a center piece at IllaicPole's dining hall, Varus imagined how immensely rich the Kingdom of Korpus had to be if a table this nice would be used for a simple meeting room. The banners close up actually have some gold linings around the serpent and borders of the banner, Varus got a bit jealous of the finely decorated banners & finer living Korpus had compared to him. He wished his banners had finer detail than just a white colored banner with a black male silhouette shooting a bow, "maybe I should I redesign my banners sometime." Varus muttered.

Varus walked towards the back end of the room; an oak wood table stood on its fours, white silk cloth covered its top holding bowls of freshly picked purple grapes, plates of freshly baked wheat bread & pitchers of wine & water. _Complementary food, how nice of them_, Varus thought.

Varus devoured a good few grapes before grabbing a large piece of wheat bread & sat back down next to Marcus.

Varus handed half of the bread to Marcus & gladly accepted it, Marcus commented on how delicious the bread is, he even compared it by saying that this makes the wheat bread of Midpoint taste like cocket bread. Varus couldn't help but laugh at the statement, in fact he kinda agreed with Marcus with that one, Midpoint wheat bread couldn't compare to Korpus's wheat bread.

The doors opened interrupting Varus & Marcus's conversation of comparing bread. Three men dressed in white silk robes of laced light green tops entered the meeting room, between the two men holding ledgers beside them was Emir Dune, a light brown man who's slim face compared average to Varus's clean shaven face but his piercing light green eyes and nice curly brown hair and nicely trimmed stubble made up for it. Even Marcus took note of his trimmed stubble, jealously perhaps. Varus noticed how they weren't sweating compared to Varus & Marcus, _their silk clothing really do keep them cool_, Varus thought.

They stood up from their seats in courtesy for Emir, "Please seat down, let us speak." Emir said with his sharp accent, patting his cushioned chair along with the other two before sitting.

"So, at last we speak, Varus Pride, although…I don't know who you're companion is." Emir said.

"This is Marcus Voll, my commander-at-arms & good friend." Varus pointed out.

"Ah, I suppose you'll be leading Varus's tactics once the time comes will you?" Emir asked, Marcus nodded politely.

Emir smiled, "so, tell me Varus. What is it that you need from me or from Korpus this day?"

"You know what I need" Varus voice deepened, "You're the only kingdom able to create the weapon I'm seeking."

Everybody knows of TNT, a weapon that was able to win the rebellion against the BlackPalm Empire in Versilia seventeen years ago. Varus had read reports detailing the rebellions victory & what they used to accomplish it. An explosive weapon named Dynamite or TNT for short. A weapon that swept through the armies of the previous Empire & how Korpus racked up chests upon chests of gold, silver, iron, bronze, & small pouches of diamonds for trading out caches of TNT to the rebels. Korpus became the richest Kingdom after that war & still to this day Korpus sends out caches out to the new Empire of Versilia acclaimed by the winning rebels, although Eupira isn't too big on war ever since the end of the Red Dawn one hundred-seventy seven years ago, TNT has been more of a tool for mining, mainly in the mountain mines of today's Northpoint & Southpoint, Polasis, HighStone, & the outer edges of its borders in the Whitelands.

"You want TNT? I guess you also want large quantities of it?" Emir politely asked, "Let me ask you something. The both of you. In what equivalent exchange will you be giving me for the price of the caches of TNT I may give you? Gold? Silver? Iron?"

Varus eyes met with Marcus in a situation where both didn't have good answers that would agree with Emir's terms, "I can't give you gold, silver, or iron. I need those for my army's supplies & rations. I came here hoping... you could loan the TNT. We will-"Emir interrupted Varus, his voice in a much more irritated tone, "WE! Don't do loans or give outs to be paid back in years to come, Varus Pride. If you lose the war to come, who's going pay us? Your dead body hanging from the rope in a live audience? Your brother riding through the streets of his kingdom waving & cheering of his victory? You think my father waited for the Rebels in Versilia to win so he can get his waited dues seventeen years ago? We get paid up front when we give out our supplies. It's the way we do things here. We're not gamblers."

Varus slumped in his seat, defeated by the words of Emir; Varus rubbed the bridge of his nose, thinking.

"An Alliance." Marcus said in the midst of the silent room. The three men laughed at the proposal. Marcus slumped more into his chair than Varus did. Varus could tell Marcus was more defeated than he was. Both shammed and embarrassed.

"You know there was a time when the Kingdom of Midpoint was called the Empire of Polaris. Controlling all of Eupira except the South. Korpus. They couldn't fight the heat as they couldn't fight the men of Korpus so they created a peace treaty & ultimately reached into an Alliance with the Empire and Korpus. Generations went by with the alliance. It was great from what the old books of Eupira history say. Even when the BlackPalm invaded our lands we stood by each other until they left to deal with a rebellion that they untimely defeated although it was a lucky call for us. But, the thing that change the most about the alliance & majority of all the land of Eupira was when the Red Dawn happened. Evokers spread out across the land summoning monsters in large numbers, rampaging across the land creating nothing but ruin. The worst part of the Red Dawn was the Emperor calling majority of his men back to defend the capital of IllaicPole…You can see where Im going with this, right?" Emir asked both Varus & Marcus, his words cutting like a sharp blade between both of them.

"Yes," Varus said dully.

It is known throughout of Eupira of how the kingdoms became to be independent lands to rule their own. What Emir said was true, Varus had spent time in IllaicPole's archives & Libraries most often during his childhood while his brother, Larus spent his time swinging swords & dueling with their father's banner men & squires along with Marcus. Books written by the great past scholars of Eupira wrote of the time after the Red Dawn, on how the people fought back against the Empire of Polaris for leaving them to die against the monsters. Revolts spread out of great houses who now rule their kingdoms today, The Legrands rule the Whitelands, a land of snow & Icey forest of darkness cover it but hone a secret of taming snow wolves & their trusty alliance with the Stellars of Blackvile a linage of pardoned Blackpalm soldiers left to die by their own Empire during the invasion before they were called back to fight against the rebels who ultimately lost during that time. Shadearts who rule the rich iron mountains of Highstone with an alliance founded by the council of witches homed in Witches Grove. Sanguin who rule the flat plains of a sea of grass in Aries, producing the strongest & fastest horses Eupira has to offer & the kingdom of Polasis ruled by the Goldleafs, a kingdom separated by a mountain line spreading across towards Southpoint. Nothing special truly comes from Polasis except for being a backbone of large quarry deposits as well as coal deposits. These kingdoms revolted against the Empire for their cowardice during the Red Dawn, seven years it took them all to push back against the Empire until the Empire itself became a kingdom named Midpoint.

"Truly, to be a large Empire that ruled over Eupira for generations only to be diminished to a small Kingdom & now two brothers of that same linage fight for a seat of ruling a broken down legacy." Emir said staring down at them. "To think…a mother grieves for her two children fighting each other for something that's been passed down the legacy of your family. Stop this nonsense, reconcile with your brother. Live a good life with the people of your kingdom & die a happy man."

Varus stood up defeated, he was tired from the long eight day journey here to the castle and the bitterness of this meeting lingered in his head resulting in a headache for him. He gave a half bow before taking a few steps when Marcus intervened the defeat of Varus, "Tell me, Lord Emir. Who kind of man was Varus's father?"

Emir shrugged the question, "I've heard he spent less time leading his armies against the monsters on his lands & spent it on talking with the town's folk and focused on being a carpenter as a lifestyle choice."

"That's correct. The people loved Kyro III, a gentle man with a big heart for his people…but despised by the soldiers of Midpoint, they found the man weak willed to be a true ruler."

"What are you getting at, Ser Marcus?" Emir said with a little rasp to his voice.

"You see the -"Emir interrupted Marcus with a grey voice wanting nothing to do with meeting any longer, "This meeting has been-", defiantly, Marcus interrupted loudly, "Humor me!" Emir let out a sigh and let Marcus continue his talk, "The difference between Varus & Larus? Tell me." Emir shrugged at the question, he did not know both of them in great personal detail nor was friends with them at all, "Is one twin better looking…?"

"Larus is a solider at heart, one of the toughest men in Northpoint, but, he is a vicious man, a solider at heart shouldn't be king. He's sentenced people to die for petty crimes of stealing wheels of cheese. Yes, I'll admit it. Midpoint hasn't been on its spirits since of late these years. Kyro III might have been a soft man but that left him numb in controlling and financing the kingdom growing the poverty numbers of the citizens of IllaicPole higher", Varus listened to Marcus remembering how his father was always loitering with common folk in the streets of IllaicPole neglecting his duties as king. It gave him the name of the worst king in Midpoint & the Empire of Polaris history combined. Varus left it as his duty to learn how to finance from books written by great financial lords and bankers of history, _financial matters of Eupira_ was the most sought out book in IllaicPoles extensive library for Varus. It read about every major financial matter in large cities, castles, forts, and lands during the Empire of Polaris.

"But Varus here will fix its financial problems" Marcus pointed at Varus, "He'll be fairer to his people compared to his brother, petty crimes of stealing food shouldn't result in hangings, wouldn't you agree, my lord?" Emir nodded in agreement of the petty crimes statement.

"Forgive me Ser Marcus but even though I condone what Larus does to his people. This has nothing to do with me." Emir said connecting his fingers together, "Has nothing to do with you, eh? Hear this. Larus always dreamt of regaining the former glory of what his kingdom used to be. He wants to expand and if Varus surrenders and gives him the throne he will do it."

"Is this true Lord Varus?" Varus nodded to Emir, he knew what his brother really wanted to do and his men under him were willing to go with him for that road of glory. Varus remembers of his brother cheering of former glory to his kingdom the moment his father died to his men, declaring to conquer all of Eupira once more. Despite the horrible control on the finical matters in IllaicPole, Larus would have enough men to take out a weaker kingdom such as Aries or Polasis but he would have to go through Varus to do so.

"Well, despite all odds, your brother wouldn't be able to fight against all the kingdoms. Attack one and that kingdom would rally others to him, thus, making it a problem for another time." Emir said softly.

"Begging your pardon I think it's a problem for now!" Marcus said firmly. "How many trained and loyal men do you have in Korpus Lord Emir, and how many of those men are you able to fully armor them?"

Emir smiled smugishly, "thirty thousand men and fifteen thousand can be equipped with full armor." Emir kept his smile wide, he knew his numbers were meant to be feared. All the wealth that Korpus held could outlast, outnumber, and overwhelm any kingdoms army.

"Very nice. Good numbers bring a force to bring reckoned with." Marcus paused for a moment, taking a sip of his tankard of water before speaking again, "Now, Southpoint holds twenty five thousand loyal men. Only five thousand of them can be full armored."

Emir looked impressed, Varus's numbers almost reached Korpus's numbers, very impressive in the eyes of Emir, "So tell me, how many does Larus have?" asked Emir.

Marcus looked over to Varus before speaking, a sign Varus knew that meant bad news for Emir and his men sitting next to him, "…eighty thousand and thirty thousand of them can be fully equipped with armor and if we reconcile with Larus those numbers add up to one hundred five loyal men. More than the Whitelands, BlackVile, Highstone and Aries combined." Emir's smile dulled, his eyes become distraught, his numbers littled between Larus's numbers. Emir and his men began whispering to each other, Varus watched not knowing what they discussed, and he only hoped that they would help him out against his brother. The whispering between them stopped, silence grew in the room, Varus and Marcus waiting for a response from Emir. Varus heart didn't beat faster nor did it skip. His expectations for Emir's answer were low. Like Emir said before, _we are not gamblers_, rung inside Varus's head; it gave him the predictable answer.

The decline from Emir struck Marcus hard from what Varus was able to tell, all that talk to be declined. Marcus held his head low looking down in defeat, the same way Varus was a few moments ago before Marcus tried to convince them. It was some good convincing though, Varus thought. It gave Emir a slight chill from his spine and Varus was able to tell.

"So be it." Muttered Marcus.

Emir and his men stood up, closing their books of a blank page which wouldn't be blank had Varus and Marcus succeeded here today.

Emir half-bowed to them, "My men will escort you to your rooms. I will send out-"

"No need Lord Emir," Varus said leaving out the exit door with Marcus; both of them defeated from this meeting today, "We'll head back to our ships waiting for us at the docks. We won't be staying the night in the castle today. We have…preparations to do once we get back to Southpoint." Emir bowed a goodbye to them watching as they turned the corner disappearing behind the wall.

Varus, tired and sweating wanted no more than to head back to his ships where the sea breeze might cool him off along with the sandy wind of Korpus.

Outside the Serpent Castle stood a large bronze cylinder object sitting in a work platform. Other large cylinders sat scattered as well but the largest one captured his eye. It seemed as it weighed tons by the look of it. A young brown man came from within the cylinder. His face covered in black soot like a mask worn around his face hiding his features. He noticed Varus and Marcus staring at the cylinders. He approached in a friendly manner wearing a tattered beat up silk vest exposing his toned arms and tattered black trousers or unless that's the black soot covering the trousers along with soot covered boots. "Good afternoon my Lords. You must be Varus. Interested in my new invention?" the young man asked with a soft accent and sweet voice.

"Yes, what is it? Some kind of weapon of sorts?" Varus asked finding himself circling the large cylinder object, impressed by its size. He laid his palm on it felling its smooth texture, the bronze hasn't corroded yet compared to the other cylinders around it, Varus thought. "I call it a Dardanelle." the young man said proud of his work. "Are you an engineer?" Marcus asked.

"In some sorts, yes but we also call ourselves demolition experts in Korpus."

"Whats it do?" Varus eagerly asked.

The young man pointed at a large deep sand hole filled in with large black balls that smelled of sulfur.

"Those right there are the main premise of this weapon. Load in the ball, load in sulfur into the back of the Dardanelle," He showed them an opening value that opened and closed manually, it was where you inserted the sulfur into the cannon; by the looks of it took a lot of sulfur to fill up the opening, "After that, you close it, grab a torch or torched stick and ignite the end here and BOOM! The ball flies off into the direction at a high speed destroying anything in its way. Walls especially, at least, I hope it would. I haven't tested it out yet." The young man said unsure about it.

"Do you work by yourself or do you work with a crew under some lord, boy?" Marcus asked peeking inside the cylinder rubbing soot on his fingers.

The young man stared at Marcus confusingly, he raised an eyebrow, and "Boy?" he said with a slight giggly under his breath, "I'm daughter of Fale Dune. His third born child, Aliyah Dune." Varus and Marcus shared confused glances at each other and back at her. She grabbed a loin cloth to wipe her face uncovering her light toned brown skin, her eyes glittered of green emeralds. Her brown hair tied, yet you can see the curls struggling to burst out. They've never heard of Fale having four children, "I thought King Fale only had three children." Said Varus. "He has four children." Replied Aliyah. "Except, women don't have a place in politics or meetings so royal women are always left out in the number of children someone has."

Varus and Marcus were unaware of these type of customs in Korpus. True they don't know much about it but the rest of Eupira allows women to be in politics if they are in the right linage of course. "But Alas, I am a Dune. Things are expected of me, so I must do my part to help my Kingdom flourish." Aliyah said with a hint of proudness.

"And to help flourish your kingdom you build them new weapons, huh?" asked Varus intrigued by Aliyah.

"Yes, Luckily I am able to command my own crew for helping me construct these weapons, though they lack intelligence; they are quick to listen to my commands and they do them well." Aliyah said laying out a rolled paper of a harness design for the Dardanelle. Its measurements and scripters were written in charcoal leaving a lot of thickness to its measurement numbers and letters. Varus wondered where her _crew_ were at, maybe it's a day off and she's working on herself today? Varus thought.

"Who taught you how to be an engineer-demolition expert?" Marcus asked looking over her shoulder at the harness design.

"My uncle. He holds the Vespian Castle, south of the Desert Sea. He taught me since I was about eight years old. Now, elven years later, Im leading groups of men to help build weapons for Korpus to fight off monsters. Although the Dardanelle is a main project for Korpus, I have a side project that I've finished but it's experimental at the moment." Aliyah added.

Varus asked about the side project; Aliyah called it the _Hwacha,_ a wheeled mechanism that slants when placed by its own handles in the back. It holds one hundred rocket propelled arrows in a square cell with tubes between it. Iron casting circled the edges front and back of the tubes, wires connected all the rockets together leading up to a single wire outside the range of the arrows length. Ignite the wire and it will slowly flash out to one hundred other wires firing the arrows into the air simultaneously. Nobody really knew about the weapon except for Aliyah and her crew. It was her own personal side project and Varus and Marcus are the first to know about it outside that small circle.

Varus was intrigued by the weapon, perhaps Aliyah could help Varus out with his weapon findings. He asked her if he could get some to help out his cause for his kingdom. Aliyah at first hesitate to say, yes, but gave out a sigh, "We Dunes do not gamble…but I am not my father or brothers." She said with a sharp smile. "I'll construct ten for you. I'll have my crew send it to you by ship to your Blank Harbor." Varus grabbed her hands thanking her for risking her gamble on him.

Evening was creeping up before hand and Varus knew he had to continue his eight day journey back home to the River Tower by sea. The evening brought in fresh wind and cooler air as the sun sets in the horizon, they said their goodbyes to Aliyah heading to the docks where Varus's men stayed coped up all this time while their stay. He hoped the sea breeze kept his men alive from the blistering sun today. He stood in the bay of his ship examining his men. None were perished by the heat but it did take its toll on them. Varus rested on netted boxes centered in the bay of his ship, Marcus left underneath the ships cellar to find a hammock to rest on. Varus starred off into the vast empty skies; clouds covered the stars giving no entertainment in star gazing for Varus today. The silence of the desert grew on him, only the streaming and churning waters and creaks of the ship can be heard. He grew tired of the cloudy sky and empty desert before making his way to his chambers, before that; he saw a serpent looking towards him at the docks. Its dark green scales hid perfectly with the night but its golden sharp eyes gave it away. Varus couldn't look away, everything tuned out…only the Silence of the Serpent was audible to Varus at the moment.


	3. Roman

During the war between Jaxel Speer and the BlackPalm Empire; It left little choice but to leave very little garrison in the prison Island of Paslus. Seeing a chance to be free, the prisoners revolted and killed almost every garrison trooper in the East end of Paslus where the lonely mountains reside. Those who survived fled to the West of Paslus at the Border Gate serving as a buffer between those prisoners in the east side now known as the Illagers in the Wildlands. I can only pity those prisoners as most of them came here at young ages for petty crimes and had been bred into savages by the torture they've endured. Even after the war they would not let us come through or see reason to trust us. They only saw everyone has a BlackPalm solider with a whip.

**_－Text from an unfinished book by Vex Grool._**

Three days had gone by since the finding of the zombie in the wildlands. Roman still feeling the uncomfortable weight of anger that resonated from Norge since then lingered on him like weights on his shoulders. It's been an uncomfortable long trip for him. Only for a half day did Roman stay at the Border Gate Fort to rest and eat before heading out to Black Harbor to meet with the scholar that Norge urged to see so the scholar can examine the zombie. It was crudely tied in a bundle of dirty old rags and cloths that were no longer needed at the Gate Fort, some had blood stains on them from previous ranging missions to the Wildlands. Norge made sure that only the ranging party and Commander Roland Hothworth knew of the zombie, anyone else that knew would cause traveled questions and rumors that Norge would like to not deal with.

The ragged zombie rode on the trunk of Roman's horse since they came back from the Wildlands, punishment from Norge as sure Roman knew. It gave a foul odor that forced Roman to wear a cheaply made white loin cloth he had spared on his bags fashioned beside his saddles' sides. Roman only wished the others had come along with them but by command of Norge they were ordered to stay behind the Gate except for Roman, "The lot of you stay here at the Gate and wait for Commander Roland for orders. I'll set off to Black Harbor to find the scholar there. Except you Roman, you'll be riding with me." Norge said with a sharp glare to Roman.

Piper protested to come with them at least for Roman sake but Norge wouldn't have it, he commanded that she stayed here until they came back. Roman missed the atmosphere of being around Piper, he was at his most comfortable with her but alone with Norge…that gave his stomach a churn for the days riding together. The camps were the worst part for Roman, the silence and ruffling sounds of the pitched up fur tents gliding with the wind, the crackling fire they sat next to just to stare at. The atmosphere was dreaded with Norge and it was only for disobeying him during the zombie fight, at that moment Roman regretted doing that, not because he actually regretted out of respect for Norge but because he wouldn't have to be here right now with him and can instead be loitering with Piper or swordplay in the training grounds with the other men of the Fort or Sing and laugh with Toric, Derek, Veric and the other men in the food hall. Truly, this was pure punishment.

Three days of travel on horseback and camping for the long road finally gave glimpse of Black Harbor in the morning light. A port built after the rebellion in Versilia and named after the dead linage of the BlackPalms. It wasn't too big compared to Leach's Port, it had no walls surrounding it but it was of right size to be flowing with money for their fish and sea creature markets that buzzed in the Harbor's center. A large tower rose near the end of the Harbor, it wasn't a light house; it was much longer than a light house, darkened with stone bricks with tinted clear windows and a turret shaped roof, Norge pointed at it, "That's where our scholar is. We ride straight for there." Piper was raised here with her adoptive blacksmith family, I'll pay them a visit; tell them that's she's doing just fine over there, Roman thought, unknowingly if Norge will allow him for such a small favor. The cold dirt road softened upon entrance of the Harbor, voices sounded across the roads and alley ways, men unpacked boxes of caught fishes and nets unloading sea crabs and lobsters. The degrading smell of piles of fishes upon fishes masked the odor of the zombie tucked behind Roman. They had to walk through the buzzing Market center of men bartering for sales, protest of a fisherman chasing a thief running with a single salmon, Roman snickered at that. A group of dirty kids playing around approached Roman asking what was in the tied up rags, kids and their curiosity. Roman leaned a little to whisper, "Water skins, leather, and some meat." Roman said trying to trick the kids into leaving him after that. "You liar! That's probably a man you have there and you're here to collect a bounty?" One of the kids shouted. A kid, taller than the one who just spoke gave a soft yet firm slap to the head, "There's no bounty contracts in Black Harbor you stupid donkey. Only Leach does contracts." The kids laughed it off and ran away from Norge and Roman screaming and laughing. Norge kept riding after that, silent as usual with Roman. Roman couldn't tell if he was angry with him for giving the kids attention instead of riding ahead and ignoring them. It didn't matter much after some thought, Norge will always hate me no matter what, Roman thought.

More road stretched from the tower, the market centers' screams and rattles have dumbed down leaving only the noise of the housed people of this soft wet road way to the tower. Hammers rang against wood and nails, mothers setting clothes to dry, children playing with sticks as if they were knights, the noise was more comfortable and less irritable than the market center's loud chaotic voices…it felt peaceful for Roman at least.

The Tower stretched before them giving Roman a slight dizziness looking up at it. Feeling the impression like it will fall on him and with all its weight if he continued to stare up at it. He has never stood near a tower this tall before, he's come and gone from Black Harbor many times before but never has he ever paid any mind to the tower before, never even knew it was _A Scholars Tower_.

Norge pulled off his horse looping its lead across a wooden stable pole near the tower, Roman followed pulling the zombie into his shoulders, an easy way to carry a body Roman found. The wooden steel doors of the tower were wide and taller than Norge or Roman. Norge gave a pull and knock on the doors torc, large and shaped of a dragons head on its ends. A young man seemingly of the age of fifteen opened the door, pale sleepy face, dark circles filled under his blue eyes and his shaggy yellow hair draped down to his shoulders. He wore a silver robe embodied with dragon designs and black fur boots under but it was hard to tell. He gave a glance at the two and yawned, "What is your business here?" he toned tiresome, Roman almost feeling tired himself after that, "We're here to meet with a scholar…the thorny one." Norge said lost in his words.

"You mean Head Scholar Vex Grool or his daughter Jessi."

"Yes. Him. We have something to show him. He knows me and I regrettable know him. Tell him Norge has something to show him" Norge insisted.

The young man opened the door escorting them to Vex's study room, "My name is Cork. Once I escort you to his room we probably won't ever see each other after that. I only opened the door because I was closest to it at the time." He seemed irritable at the presence of them Roman thought but it didn't bother him too much, he didn't want to be here either. Across every floor climbing the spiral stair case centered in the tower seemed to be students and scholars lurking about either teaching a class Roman could see through because they forgot to close the door or students studying or loitering about with others. It was a quiet place, flipping of pages, steps on the marble floors from the clang of their boots and some snores from students drooling on their books. Roman could say he found the atmosphere too quiet if not only for the stares of the students, their overbearing stares of self-importance annoyed Roman but not so much to Norge as he could tell, unsheathe my blade on these pompous ass students and well see who comes out to feeling assertive, Roman laughed at the thought.

Vex's room fronted in the end of the spiral stair case on the top floor of the tower it held two heavy wooden oak doors edging fine steel on its hinges and steel dragons on the center of both. Cork knocked, "Vex, you got visitors." Only silence was heard from behind the door. Cork gave an unsatisfied and tiresome sigh, "There's a Norge with them" he added. Thumps of leather and paper dropped as footsteps closed in towards the door. A man similar age to Norge but a bit younger opened the doors in a quick fashion, his amber-grey hair was short and fuzzy, green eyes same has Norge and uneven grey stubble and fitted leather boots with cotton trousers and a velvet tunic; he fixed himself up before speaking, "It's been too long brother! Too long!" the man laughed with a deep voice.

He gave a hug to Norge and dismissed Cork. Vex was the complete opposite of Norge, he looked fuller and had some emotion to his voice. He invited them into his quarters, it spiraled across the entire floor decorated with laid out books scrabbled across the floor some stacked upon another. A desk horded with quills, inks and papers and a window behind viewing all of Black Harbor. Four small fireboxes placed on the outer walls faced horizontal against each other across the room feeling the nice warmth in the quarters. Roman laid the body on its back behind them when sitting in front of Vex's horded desk, picking and dropping stacks of books and papers so he can talk face to face with them instead of talking behind a messy wall. He gave a glance at Roman, "Are you my brothers squire young one?" he asked sitting from behind his desk. "No, I don't think I am." Roman said unsurely, disliking the thought of being Norge's squire.

"Vex. I only came here without notice or raven because I have something urgent to show you. Something that couldn't wait." Norge pointed at the ragged body bag behind them. Roman opened the bag out of Norge's order, rags fell by the untying of its bonds, and the odor became heavier, concealing the room with its stink. Vex drew from his seat to examine the rotting body, "Hmmm, yes…Why did you bring a long dead man into my tower, Norge?" Vex said in a serious, firm voice than before. Vex probably thought this was some sort of joke from Norge and Roman but Norge had his eyes fixed that meant seriousness and Vex knew that.

"What do you want me to do with this? Who is this?" asked Vex

"This zombie attacked us three days ago out in the wildlands. It was dead when it did. We might think it's from Eupira since that's where the monsters come from." Norge said pulling up the zombies head, "Zombies? How would zombies come all the way here? They can't swim and we're miles, hundreds of miles from the closest land of Eupira…Are you sure it was a zombie?"

"I'm positive. I have four others at the Border Fort who will tell the same."

"If this is true, then I'll like for this to be carried atop the tower, there I will see for certain." Roman began tying the rags back onto the zombie before heading up a steep staircase that leads to the top of the tower. Vex peeked his head out the entrance of his room calling for a student to bring him a good sized bucket of water. Roman could see why Norge came here in a hurry, Vex was probably the smartest person he knows who can figure this out in a quick time of day. The sunlight shined above the turret shaped top, morning was ending and midday is coming and Roman placed the zombie center of the floor. Vex pulled back Roman softly from his shoulder, "Stay back, If my thoughts are correct this will light up in flames. If it does I would consider you lucky that you ragged this zombie up before daylight touched it all these past few days." Vex settled Roman near Norge in the far end of the tower, "From books and reports I've read, when the Evokers showed their powers in Eupira and summoned the hordes of monsters that still roam in small packs today in Eupira, but, back in the year of fifteen-forty two when the natives used enchanting magic they stole from witches to become Evokers, their summoned abominations did not burn in sunlight, so imagine, zombies and skeletons alike not burning and you had to fight hordes of them during that time, horrific." Vex said still waiting for that bucket of water, "It's said that the zombies and skeletons didn't start burning until half the Evokers were killed. That took four years to do, then more of the Evokers were killed. After that, records dictate that only three Evokers survived out of the fifty and have gone into hiding. One hundred and seventy seven years later and they're still not found those immortal bastards. People since then have lived fighting the monsters in Eupira, since the demolish of the Empire of Polaris and the newly established kingdoms, peace amongst them has lasted since then only to fight against the monsters and not themselves. More than I can say for Versilia and our battles."

"Can't say it's all too peaceful with themselves in Eupira now." An unknown female voice came from the entrance of the steep stairs, she carried a bucket of water from its handle placing it at Vex's feet. Her plain velvet robe reached only to her calves, she was skinny and unbalanced as could be said for her amber shaggy hair too, "Reports from Leaches Port workers and traders say that the kingdom of Midpoint has split in two by twin brothers fighting over the seat to rule." She added. Her green eyes met Norge and Roman standing abidingly amidst the wall Vex order them to be at, "Uncle!" The girl shouted in excited happiness reaching out to embrace him. Norge hugged her has she charged towards him; Roman could see that Norge wasn't really a hugger judging by the awkward hug he tried to give his niece. Under his mouth cover Roman could see the faintest of a smile…it sort of creeped Roman seeing Norge smile or at least think that he did. The bitterest man at the Border Fort smiling was unimaginable to Roman, even his brother and himself are so far apart from personalities you couldn't tell they were related.

The girl unsuspecting gave a quick hug to Roman has a greetings and Roman hugged bouncing back from her chest, flushed as a beat he got. Roman from an angle was able to see Norge give a sharp glare to him. _A glare stating, don't get any funny ideas with my niece, boy_.

"This is Jessi, she is my daughter. Eight-teen and the smartest girl in Black Harbor." Vex proudly said.

Roman couldn't help but admit to himself that Jessi was prettier than Piper, a bit skinny compared to Pipers toned body but the nice smile Jessi let out resented a lot of innocence. Now the thought of baring children reached to Norge, _does Norge have sons and daughters that many of us don't know about_, Roman thought? Out of the people he knows at the Border Fort, Roman knew that, Toric had two daughters and a son working at Leaches Port, Veric had a son who was a wood cutter for Leach, and Derek fathered three sons and two daughters, two of those sons guarded and trained at the Border Fort, the other works with guarding shipments in Black Harbor and the two daughters are only twelve and fourteen still living with their mother at Black Harbor but Roman never thought of Norge having children nor did he or anyone at the Border Fort ever talk about the subject. Roman tried to forget about it and focus on whats in front of him.

Vex picked the very end of the rags of the zombie looking back at the three standing against the wall, "Let's shed some light in this thing." Uncovering the zombie's rags…10 seconds past and the sun shined on it. Vex frowned in disappointment, nothing had happened like he wanted it to but before turning back, smoke trails withered from the zombie smelling of burnt rotten flesh. It grew into flames surrounding its body, it was a strong flame growing ever more as time passed, and Vex threw the bucket of water to stop the flames and placed the rags back on it. Steam flowed throughout the top of the tower like a gust of fog rolling up from out of nowhere, "This is truly a real zombie casted from Evokers." Vex said astonished with this subject Norge and Roman brought but Jessi stood shook, speechless from what she saw.

"You can't be serious…how did a zombie manage to get to Paslus?" She said looking at Norge and Roman, "We don't know child" Norge said, "It attacked us out from the woods in a camp a hundred miles from Border Gate in the Wildlands."

Vex guided them back into his quarters down the steep stairs and before leaving, Roman saw the zombie disintegrate from its steam into a black dust that formed the shape of what once was a living person. The lot of them huddled to Vex's messy desk, he scrabbled across it looking for a good quill and ink and a decent sized paper, "I'm sending a raven to Witches Grove in Highstone about this discovery. I'm going to need you, Norge, to travel there and give your testimony to the witches. Perhaps they can help you out with this and hopefully it's not what I fear." Vex scarcely said, "And what's that?" Norge asked, "There's an Evoker hiding in the Wildlands…Building an army" Vex finished his note, he whistled and called out for a student, luckily, Cork was nearby to hear it, "Send this note to the raven master down the Harbor. Tell him to send it to Witches Grove. Tell him it's being sent by me and not to read it by strict orders." Cork gave a bummed look of dismay from the order but carried it out anyway leaving the quarters soon after, "Don't worry, I'll let the guards at the Border Fort know that you'll be leaving in an important task." Vex said writing another short note, poor Cork is going to have run back to the raven master when he comes back to deliver another message, Roman thought.

"I can give you my ship to sail there, big enough for its own crew and enough spare hammocks for you to sleep in." Vex padded Norge on the back laying his arm on it. "Fine, I'll go to them. And you're coming with me you cunt" Norge spited Roman. Roman protested, he hated following orders from Norge and he hated the dreadful atmosphere around him. He wanted to head back to The Border Fort and bathe and return to a familiar atmosphere with Piper and the others but it seems that won't happen for him.

"Least I can get is a bath before we head out for our journey?" Roman asked with a hint of resent towards Norge. "You may use my home's tub to bathe in and rest before you head out tomorrow. Jessi, can you show him the way." Roman gestured his goodbye to Vex and left the room with Jessi. Norge stayed to talk with Vex about the note, "Send word to the Border Fort that'll we'll be gone." Norge's said but his voice muffled more as he walked down the spiral stairs. Roman was tired and wanted food and a feather bed to rest on before tomorrow arrives. Roman followed Jessi out the tower and into the Harbor streets, he walked with his horses lasso in hand, thinking it would be rude to ride on horseback and have Jessi lead the way while walking. She lead him through a wide pathway stacking houses besides its edges and leading to nicely built wooden house closed in by other houses yet not far from the tower. Roman tied his lasso to a stable pole sticking out of the house, he wasn't too sure if that really was a stable pole but carried on anyway into the house. Jessi showed him around the light crowded halls and rooms. A small room big enough to extend Romans arms laid a large iron bucket sized for a human, Roman wasn't used to such a small bucket though, let alone being iron.

Back in the Border Fort they used wooden buckets big enough for five people at a time and they had to heat up their water in buckets before pouring them in, but here, Jessi showed that they used fire logs to burn a good enough blaze under it to heat up the water once poured, but waiting for the iron itself to cool down so you don't burn yourself. Jessi left Roman to it. Roman followed every instruction on how to do it as she told him, pour the water and put a blaze under the bucket and wait for the water to turn to your liking. Done, but it took him longer than he expected himself too. Roman relished the bath he took, sweat had turned his skin sticky and his leathers uncomfortable to wear. He could hear Jessi rumble about across the hall moving back and forth, seemed like she was organizing maybe? Roman didn't care much. The thought of being with Norge for much longer time than anticipated crossed him more furiously than anything else. He really wanted to go back to the Border Fort where he belongs.

The night ended in a soft feather bed with a fur quilt to add and ended in morning light shining on Romans face, impossible to go back to sleep with that much light on him. Rations and supplies were loaded in the ship Vex lent out to Norge and Roman. Vex stood outside the entrance of his ship from the docks seeing things come and go, checking if all the appropriate sailors and supplies were onboard for the journey ahead. Jessi wasn't with him Roman noticed, in fact, Jessi wasn't at the home when Roman woke up and left but he didn't think much about it. He boarded the ship gesturing Vex a goodbye and seeing the busy movement of everyone ready to leave Harbor, he felt out of place, not doing anything. It felt odd to him seeing others work while he rested on a hammock inside the lower part surrounded by other hammocks and crates of unknown supplies. It was crowded down under and this was the way it's going to be for a good sixteen days if the wind and waves is on his time side. Norge laid further ahead blocked by crates stacked on each other. _By the End let me survive this ordeal_, Roman prayed.

The sails were heard from down under, the ship has sailed. Only a few minutes passed and Roman became tired of the dimly lit hammock area and the sound of waves gliding through the ship. He walked towards to upper deck to get a good look and last glimpse of Black Harbor and Paslus before it vanished in the horizon later in the sail. He'd forgotten to meet with Piper's parents to see how they're doing, but the unexpected journey with Norge blocked that thought from him at the time. He leaned on the rails watching as Black Harbor distanced itself slowly overtime, his stomach took the sea quite well; he's heard stories of people being what they called sea sick and lose their stomach to the waves but not for Roman. He stared, watching the waves and the land of Paslus cross by slowly, he could faintly make out the Border Gate ahead, "so far." He murmured, wondering if he will ever comeback to see his friends at the Border Fort. The stories of sea sickness didn't just cross his mind but the possibility of sinking in the middle of the sea by a loose guardian or ramped by an Illager pirate raid. He tried not to think too much about the loose guardian possibility but invited the possibility for a pirate raid. He'd love a fight, some of the local men posted as guards aboard the ship by Vex seemed to invite that too but with the recent lack of raids from the Illagers at the Border Gate, it was less than likely a pirate raid would happen.

Gulps and gags with splashes of water bellowed beside him, disrupting his sightseeing. She threw herself at the rails setting her face down towards the sea; she kept howling and gaging. Roman recognized her. It was Jessi, smiling at him when she noticed his stare and bellowed her spew back out in the water.

"Hi, Roman. I –"She spewed out again, "I'm coming with you…and Uncle…to…visit the…witches." Her gags kept interrupting her talk.

"Why? Why the witches?" Roman asked, curious to why she would endure sixteen days or more of sea travel to meet the witches.

"Their knowledge. I…want to read the books they have in their…extensive library."

"If they have one that's public for you."

"Please…don't ruin…my hopes. All for naught…I hope I can…at least return with…some knowledgeable books."

"I pray for your success." Roman smiled.

One of the guards came close to Jessi tapping her head with a red apple, "eat something. It'll make you feel better. Trust me." He suggested.

He was square built and his face seemed similar to someone Roman knew, his arms tightened to his elbows against ring mail and his chest cover in iron armor and his legs in black trousers tucked in his black boots. His brown hair peeked out his iron helm, a clean shaven face showing his beautiful cheek bones and brown eyes darkened by the shadow of his helm. He looked older than Roman but not by much. He laughed at Jessi pushing the apple away from her head, she couldn't eat with all her gaging and bellowing. "Please…I don't want it…Ugh, name? She asked tired from all the spewing.

"The names Yorick VonDerion. One of the guards of this ship until your travel ends." Roman turned to meet his face and stared, the last name belonged to only one man he knew. Yorick was Derek's youngest son.


	4. Piper

"I can't die here…I have family to go back to."

**_－The last words of a BlackPalm footman. Siege of the Shadow Fortress 160 R.D_**

Piper held her swords' flat gripping with both hands and the end of her fingers, the blades edge close to her palm.

"Good, that's how you hold on to it," Veric said guiding her hands and fingers through the blades flat.

"I don't see why I need to learn this technique. Illagers in the Wildlands don't use plated armor and we barley have enough to armor fifty of our own." Piper said easing her grip on the sword.

"Aye, and what will you do when you're with your fellow men, armor less, and with no mace or any cleaving weapon against a group of Illagers and half of them are armored to the brim?" Veric swung his sword's guard to the practice dummies' helm denting it, "That's why you need to learn how to half-sword. It could save you and the others lives, hitting them with your sword's guard will cause trauma…if you don't miss them of course…or if they don't block or dodge your attack."

"That'll never happen, savages don't know how to forge decent weapons or armor at all. They only wear furs. Easy to cut through."

"And we wear leather. Also easy to cut through."

"But we have armor we can use."

"For fifty of us, like you said, and only used when the Border gate is attacked."

"Then we should sally out with armor on out in the Wildlands. Attack them. Fifty men with armor on and expand Estovia's land."

"Illagers population alone outnumber us seven to one. Armor slows us down and when a horde of Illagers finds us and outnumbers us, trust me; Armor isn't going to be much help when they surround you," Veric took his helm off and sat in a bench offside the court of the training dummies. His blonde hair spiked around his head from the sweat. He laid the point of his sword and dug it into the ground resting his body and arms on its guard, "Don't underestimate your enemy, Piper. Underestimating can end your life."

Piper sat beside Veric untighten her helm and padded chest guard placing them under her boots and sat her sword next to it. She watched as the other men of the Border Fort trained in the court yard. The recent findings of a zombie as put the training yards into full gear by Commander Roland from the lazy past months they've had and the men showed it with huffs and puffs from they're lack of endurance training. She saw Derek was with his son, Darwin. Lanky boy of sixteen, his swordsmanship was horrific along with his shield blocking. His reflexes were too slow and it showed as fat Derek drew his son around with a swing of a sword when Darwin barley blocked the hit. His helm flew off when he hit the ground; his hair fuzzy from the sweat of his practice, "I yield." Darwin spouted out. Despite his lack of swordsmanship and shield techniques, his archery was second to none in the Border Fort. No one could best him when it came down to killing from a long range still holding his record for killing a Illager from 200 yards on his first ranging outside into the Wildlands.

"You must learn how to fight in close combat. You can't release or fire a bow when someone can just run up to and stab ya'." Derek laughed as he helped Darwin back up resuming their training.

"Noon as arrived and I'm starving." Veric said, "Come, let's go get our first dinner."

Piper agreed and followed along walking to the armory to put away their practice helms and padded chest guards along with their practice swords. Veric passed through the training yards, "Derek, Darwin. Dine with us."

"Aye" Derek and Darwin said in sync.

They followed the stony passageway leading to the dining hall far from training court yard, they passed through the giant iron forced Border wall connected by the Fort itself holding it has it passes through and surrounds the buildings inside it. The Border Fort shouldn't really be considered a Fort in all honesty most who serve here would agree with. The Fort was more of a castle that expanded through the entire sector between the Wildlands and Estovia, thirty miles to be exact. Its defense walls towered giving an intimidating feel for anyone daring to siege it from the Wildlands and only the giant iron forced gate of the fort gave entrance to the Wildlands, centered in the middle of the fort.

The dining hall was large yet still cramped with men and women of the Border Fort but Piper could deal with the full house. Hork was serving his specialty today, Fish stew with honeyed crabs. That explains the filled room and Derek was already mouth watery. They took their stew bowls and sat in the middle of a long table centered in the room. Two merchants chatted with a man of the Border Fort and talked about expanding Estovia into the Wildlands. They were seated a row and two seats away from Piper and the others so they could listen to the conversation nicely while eating their stew.

"Why can't you just move equipment and expand fifty miles over the Border? Surely, with some of this lot you can do it." One of the merchants said.

"Aye, we could. But, we only have over two hundred trained and trainees in the Border Fort. No, maybe less I think. And majority of the men here are high ranking soldiers from the BlackPalm Empire exiled here to live out our days protecting you lot but at least some of our families came with us to live here but others stayed back in Versilia." The man chugged the remaining water of his stew, "What worries me is when the lot of us old folk die and leave the rest to the young ones behind. With that they'll probably only be about fifty some. Maybe less. The Illagers and Cannibals in the Wildlands repopulate and keep growing unlike us. We only got two new recruits this year. A young poor boy looking for steady feed, the other a highborn lad from Eupira in Blackvile, a Stellar this one is. He came looking for an adventure and stories to tell back home. Said the monsters in Eupira were boring to fight and easy to counter now a days."

"Better finding good food from Hork here than an adventure." The other merchant said, "The lot of you honestly look like you've been lazy these past few months? Lack of something?"

"Raids. The Illagers haven't come and attack the Border Gate in a while. It's gotten dull around here. We range outside over a hundred miles and none in site. They could be planning something, but, Commander Roland has ordered a mass training sessions from here on out just in case our suspicions are right."

"Maybe they've turned peaceful and less savage over the years. Maybe now you lot can rest in peace, aye?" The merchant laughed.

Piper and the others knew the real reason to the lack of raids but under Roland's order they aren't allowed to spread it out. Piper only hoped the situation didn't grow direr with the zombie they found in the Wildlands.

They were nearly finished with their stews before the son of Derek approached the merchants and the man, It was Borin, his leather tunic was tightened from his over grown muscles and his brown beard and long brown hair darkened hiding his high cheek bones in the dimly lit area of their table.

"The Border Fort is a joke to you is it? An army of old folk and young lads doing nothing but wasting time?" Borin said glancing down at the two merchants, "I've seen young kids out in the Wildlands, Cannibal kids. Kids with more fury in them than you two old folk would ever know, they'll chop you up and place you in a bag like a sack of potatoes."

Attention from the people closest to the conversation were drawn to them. The two merchants became unsettled by Borin's words, they didn't say anything while Borin stood looming over them. Borin was a hard guy, tough as any other guy, a spitting resemblance of Derek in his younger days, the days before he got fat with a plump belly and grew his grey hairs disguising his curly brown hair as the other men in the Fort would say.

"Some of us you see here will probably die outside Estovia, might be a savage's axe or roasted alive in a cannibal's feast. Might just be something else. They die in pain and they do it so merchants like you can travel around Estovia and barter freely and gain your extra coin you kind crave all the time. No worries of cannibals coming to eat your wife or kids, or an Illager coming to pillage your homes and enslave you."

The merchants took their leave soon after finishing their stews and left without a sound in the wind. Borin saddled over his wooden seat of his table and began to grin. It later turned to laughing and everyone laughed along with him as the two merchants left the dining hall, "Did you see them?" Borin laughed, "They were ready about to piss themselves!" The laughs echoed throughout the dining hall and others who didn't notice the conversation between the merchants were noted on what happened and joined in on the laughing. Piper and the others joined in too.

"That's my boy." Derek said. The laughing dumbed down and idle chatter resumed in the dining hall soon after. Piper was finished with her stew and Derek was grabbing seconds and forcing his son Darwin to eat more with him. The poor boy, Piper thought. She headed out but Veric stayed behind playing a game of cards with some other men near the table they were sitting at.

She walked aside parallel to the Forts wall along the stony pathway. Like said that most people would call it a castle but Piper wouldn't call it that. It's stone brick wall expanded for thirty miles and every ten miles laid a sector each with their own dining hall, training court, smith, and other similar buildings that the other sectors had and each of the sectors was like its own castle connected to the stone brick wall with five towers towering over the wall itself in every sector. Sector: _Sea_ in the south, Sector: _Gate_ in the middle, and Sector: _Forest_ in the north. Majority of the soldiers serve in the Gate sector and the others hold only about twenty five men up keeping those sectors.

Some of the buildings in those sectors are crumbled and falling apart, some are even abandoned and are unused and to rather get what they need from or repairing the building, they travel ten miles towards the Gate sector and get what they need and travel back to their sector. Dire need of repair was needed in those sectors but the lack of recruits showed why they were unable to up keep the other sectors except the Gate sector.

A hand in black leather gloves stopped Piper in her tracks. It was Commander Roland holding a letter insisting Piper to read it, she opened it and began, "Ro-Roman a-a-and Norge hav-i sailed off t-to H-HeTone to sp-sp-speak wit t-he Wi….wi…" Roland stopped her, taking back the letter from her hands.

"For years I trained you with everything and like Roman you excelled on the combat roles. Yet you still can't read properly like Roman can. You haven't been studying your texts like I've been telling you too." Roland said firmly. But it was true, Piper's mind would rather be on the blade and being around the others to laugh and have fun but Piper can already sense the punishment for not being able to read the letter in Commander Roland's grey eye, even his eye patch seems to be glaring at her if it itself was an eye.

"Where were you heading off to, if I may ask?"

"I don't know. I had just finished my first dinner of the day."

"Excellent, a full belly is a well attained mind ready to be used. You'll be doing some reading for the day instead." Roland said in a puffed up tone.

Pipers faced dropped out of boredom already, she did not like reading to the point where staring at a wall was more entertaining than studying to read. Unlike her though, Roman has always been able to read efficiently and well through his studying from the texts Roland gives him from his quarters. Piper was always jealous of Roman in that aspect.

"What did the letter say about Roman and Norge anyway?" Piper asked.

"The letter arrived yesterday at midnight. It's from Vex, Norge's little brother. He has sent them off to Highstone in Eupira to speak with the Witches there who may or may not have intelligence of what is happening in the Wildlands. Vex fears an Evoker as set himself upon the Wildlands, which gives a hint to the zombie. We don't know where and neither does he. We are low manned to send ourselves to fight an Evoker says Vex. Knowing how serious the situation might be, that is why Vex sent Roman and Norge to them, to give a testimony in hopes they will send some sort of help our way."

"How long will Roman be gone?"

"About a month. Maybe longer. Sixteen days to there from here and Sixteen days back…if the wind is generous to them and if time over there is generous too."

Piper face dropped even harder this time. Roman was her best friend in the Border Fort, she's been best friends with him since Roland took her under his wing and trained both of them since they were young and now he'll be gone for a month or even longer. These past three days have been uneventful and today will be the forth uneventful day without him and it will continue to be like that for a month or more.

Roland studied her face and connected her expression to his words just now, "Ah," he smiled, "Now that Roman isn't here you don't have any distraction to study on your reading now do you?"

He stretched out his arm pointing to her barracks across the building near the training courtyard. A female barracks to be exact, the men's barracks was across the other side of the courtyard.

The barracks were warm from the fire place as the stone walls kept it that way. But it was mostly empty, not many females join the Border Fort to protect Estovia from the savages of the Wildlands, and most stay in the harbors, ports, or towns and do womanly things.

The female barracks were shorter and smaller than the men's barracks, seeing that the females are always empty at most which meant that the rooms were empty too, less beds in both floors. But at least the privy was the same as the others, a room of wooden stalls of medium sized holes and iron buckets underneath them. Piper prayed that today wasn't her turn to churn and burn the buckets of waste.

She waited on the first floor on the bed closest to the fireplace. Roland said that he would bring her new books to read, some that she would enjoy reading for what texts they hold. Only a moment until he came in with four leather bound books that looked older than him. Thick yellow pages filled its bounds of leather. He placed the books down near her nightstand, "Four books that you might like to read, or so I hope," He picked each one up one by one, "'_The Legend of the Wither_'. A story of how our God, the Ender Dragon saved the world but succumbed to lose all power after the fight and rested back into the End. '_The lost redstone creations and Elvish lives_. A classic history story on the great minds of the elvish people who were exterminated by the BlackPalm Empire, feared by their great minds and great creations, Axel BlackPalm exterminated them in the western lands and mountains of Versilia thousands of years ago."

"There used to be elves in Versilia?" Piper asked.

"Used to. No one has seen one ever since that time. Its been so long we might as well take them as myth." Roland continued on with the books.

"'The_ fall of the Empire of Polaris and the coming of the Kingdoms of Eupira'_. Interesting book. It talks about the Red Dawn that Eupira had to face. One-third of the population exterminated. Horrendous time but they seem to have recovered ever since then. And for the very last one, a made up tale, a fantasy as they call it, easy to read too. This one should be your first one, '_The tale of the Unknown Heroes'_. A tale of sacfirce to save the world…but the world never knew who the heroes were, only they know who saved the world and the dead don't talk."

He laid his hand on Pipers shoulder, "I trust you'll at least read the last book." With that Roland left the barracks leaving the books stacked on the nightstand waiting to be picked up and read. Piper gave a sigh and picked the '_Unknown heroes_' book and tried her hardest to read it.


	5. Varus (2)

"You betrayed the land of Eupira by recalling your troops back to IllaicPole leaving us most vulnerable to the monsters! This will forever be noted in history and we will not allow our lands to be under your rule no longer! You will let go of our lands or we will do it ourselves!

**_－From the Convention of Eupira Kingdoms to the Polaris Empire. 15 R.D_**

"We shouldn't go. It'll make us look like we will abide by his command." Rolf shouted across the end of the long table.

"It's a small gathering between us and Northpoint. This is to see if war truly will come to both our lands." Marcus said, finishing his plate of roasted pork and left over winter wine.

"No peace talk, no alternatives. We can't afford to look weak." Jared said across Marcus.

"Enough!" shouted Varus removing his hands from his face and looking across the long table to see all nine of his highest ranking men stare back after his shout. The room was filled with servants too but Varus excused them out before anything else was said after that.

A letter arrived two days before Varus landed back to the River Tower from Korpus. It was from his brother Larus wanting a gathering of both parties to meet between the borders of North and Southpoint in a month from now. Varus knew this wasn't Larus's doing, he's too hard headed to do some gathering and talk things through. It was their mother who intended this gathering and only can their mother control Larus to do things that others can't order him to do.

"We will go to the gathering but not alone. We'll bring majority of our troops to stand aside just in case something was planned." Varus said.

"The letter also states that the Church will be there as well, most likely to urge you both to reconcile and let this soon to be war end." Baron stated.

"Religious zealots. They'll do nothing but pray and tell us how we're both falling off the staircase to the promise land. They like neither of us. My brother and I never were heavy on the religion like our mother and father were."

"It is also said that Magus Herald will be there among the Church."

"Herald- he tried to touch me once." Varus scuffed.

"Turns out he has the love of the common folk with him and some ofLarus's men love him too. And seeing how majority of Larus's army is primarily made up of common folk maybe we can use him to our advantage. Have him side with us and the common folk in Illackpole will fight against Larus. Inside the city." Marcus said.

"I won't need their help to fight my brother. They'll just be an obstacle once the war is over for us if we let them side with us. They won't stop pestering to have us join the Kingdom and the Church together like they have been since the Kingdoms of Eupira formed."

The room grew quiet only for the munching of meat and _clanks_ of plates and goblets on the table. Varus faced out the window from his seat, the view spread out across the mountains and land. The highest point of the River Tower gave a nice view of its city too. The buzzing markets down in the center, the children playing around with swords to young squires following their appointed knights to its training yards and a horse breeder a few miles away outside the city. These were the people who would be forced to go to war for his ambitions. People who had no say on what side they wanted to be on, only forced to serve the lord who took the land they were on. Suffering will come their way…if war comes to be with his brother.

The cluttering of plates and meats continued around the table. Varus fetched the letter to read it once more, "Mother," he murmured. Five months it's been since his father had died and Five months he's been separated from his mother since. She stayed in IllaicPole with his brother, Larus, thinking this wouldn't last throughout when they fought over the Kingdom. Varus can still remember the day Larus was rallying up his men and spouted future endeavors of making the glory of the former of Empire of Polaris come true again. Larus never saw any of the bigger picture in anything. All he saw was a numbers in armies and figured he could take on all of Eupira. The fool. The Kingdoms of Eupira wouldn't dare let him begin such a quest, his foolish dreams will bring ruin to his Kingdom and bloodline.

"Reports say that Larus has gathered up more men for his army." Yarn said gnawing on the last bit of meat on his pork bone.

"More numbers for Larus's army. The more numbers he has the more chance of victory the man thinks he has on winning. Untrained, clumsy men he has in his ranks." Varus said sliding the letter back into the granite table, "But, there are strength in numbers. He has more men and more armor than us. The River Tower's walls aren't as thick and layered with three walls between each other like IllaicPole has."

"Perhaps we should sue for peace as the best resort from this." Syther said.

The faces of the room gleamed back at Syther after his suggestion, especially Jared who just suggested no peace talk for the fear of looking weak; hesitate, he spoke again, "We make peace…We let him keep IllaicPole and let him do his conquest and once all the Kingdoms rally with each other we can take him down."

"And what kingdom do you think he'll start with for his conquest?" Varus said across the table, his words sharp as blade for Syther. Syther knew the answer but didn't want to answer for the embarrassment was too much, opening his mouth but no words came out, "He'll start off with Southpoint, and no other Kingdom will come to our aid against my brother…you idiot." Varus told back, "The only option of _peace_\- we have is to side with him and crumble with him once his conquest fails."

The room grew deathly quiet. All plates were finished and none _clanked_ or _tapped_ from their left over bones that sat cold along with their empty goblets. The evening sky darkened with its pinkish-yellow sunset. All day they sat in the meeting room discussing their efforts for what might come. "If war is to come. How will we do it? Will we wait in our walls and hold out the siege and starve to death." Peter said slouching on his chair. He was always a negative man who never saw the light in the darkness, if the man fell into darkness he would accept it instead of fight it and look for a light way out. But he was a skilled warrior and trainer for the army and Varus needed him for that.

"Perhaps it's best if we get some sleep my lords. We've been here since morning. No need to keep idling ourselves in here any further. We've worn ourselves out for today." Dane said preparing to flee out of the table in a moment's notice.

"Aye, you're right." Varus sighed, "We should all get some rest for now. You are all dismissed." The room sounded off from chairs screeching against the stony floor and pushed back into the table with the men leaving the room but Varus had one person in mind during the entire meeting, QuPic, he stayed quiet for almost all of it, "Not you, QuPic." He turned to face Varus, being the last one to be left in the room along with Varus. He closed the doors shut before taking a seat near Varus sliding his drapes of his doublet over the seat and rubbing his dark circled eyes, "You've been quiet for a long time. You're never quiet, you're the smartest out of the nine. What is on your mind?"

"You ever think we're in over our heads here? We are outnumbered, our city wouldn't last a siege like IllaicPole could withstand…I'm sorry my lord. I shouldn't doubt ourselves in this ever dooming war to come."

"There's no need to be sorry. I think it too sometimes. Sometimes, I wish I wasn't born a twin and bred as the first born instead. How different things would be if that had happened."

QuPic huffed out a small laugh knowing he would want the same if he had Varus's life, "I sometimes wish that too. None of us wouldn't be here and we could be back at IllaicPole following your lead as the King of Midpoint…but life doesn't work that way, does it?" Varus tilted his head, contemplating on that comment of life, "No," he said, "Life will never work in anyone's favor. 'For when life goes straight towards the line that you want, it becomes dull, easy and nothing of significance happens in that dull life of yours. It is best we let it stray from our desired paths and let it follow its own-for it will sometimes lead us to ruin but we will find salvation through it. And continue on'."

QuPic gave a low laugh, impressed by the words Varus said but uncertain if they were his original words, "Did you just make that up or did you just get that from a passage?" he asked. Varus cocked his head back to the window overlooking the city remembering the book he read back in IllaicPole of fairer times before the Red Dawn and read the quotes of famous leaders throughout Eupira's History. One that always stuck with him was the one he just told QuPic. It was from General Voth of Gal. He led the foray after his brother was killed during the conquest of Eupira by the Polaris Empire. A northern born man fighting for Polaris and helped conquer the north. He Lead a good life and passed away saying those final words knowing he never wanted to be a leader but had the gift for it after his brother died.

"It's from a book I read long ago" Varus said. Quick smiles drawn back and forth of quotes Varus and QuPic exchanged before the talking broke out and Norman barged in announcing that his party will set out in to the darkness of the land to hunt down any monsters lurking about the roads and outskirts of the villages, he bent the knee and looked down, "M'lord, my party will be setting out soon. Is there any place you need me to go? If not, then I shall heed forth where my party pleases."

Varus shook his head and Norman took his leave setting his iron helm on over his short brown hair and hearing the _clank _of the visor slide down and the _clanks_ of his armor fade away down the staircase. Varus liked Norman, he was a good soldier but his constant diligence to keep Varus proud of him annoys him time to time. Norman was a young lad of seventeen, average looking but if he grew a stubble more girls may flock to him, but that was only Varus's opinion. Norman was knighted only four months ago by Marcus for valor against a large group of spiders attacking a village, he fought alongside the knight he squired for, Trundle Grudge. Sadly, Trundle died that day, overrun by the horde of them and it was left to Norman and a few other knights who vouched for him after to defeat the rest of them. Astonishingly he succeeded but the death of Trundle changed him to become more honorable than the old Norman that was raised in the slums of IllaicPole.

The sky finally turned black and the stars illuminated it before Varus could notice. All this work to accomplish this day truly took its toll on his nine chairmen of his council but not on him. He felt something heavier that couldn't leave his mind but he didn't know what it was. Was it the serpent his saw staring back at him in Korpus before sleeping? Or the upcoming war that will happen to save his people from total destruction Larus will put them in. or was it the lack of sightings of zombies and skeletons. It was an unknown force of heaviness Varus couldn't pull out. He faced QuPic slumping slightly off his chair dozing into a good sleep from what Varus could tell. "Go to bed QuPic." QuPic shook his head from his words, thanking him for the release to his chambers. Varus clapped his hands signaling the servants that it is alright to come back in now. Five in total wearing dark white cotton tunics and trousers bunched up in the room clearing out the table and dirty bits of food under the seats and table. His mind was still on that heavy thought and the _clanks_ of the dirty dishes and goblets weren't easing the pain. He walked out of the meeting room destroying the letter in a brazier before dashing down the stairs to his chambers and strapping on some iron gauntlets, boots and a studded leather armor and iron helm. He grabbed his steel sword, _Lust, _and passed down the stairs again once finished. Servants made way for Varus's hurry and reached to his pale yellow horse named Lion at the stables exclusively for Varus and his other nine chairmen. "Heading out to slay some monster are we?" A voice echoed out from the shadows of the River Tower. Out came Marcus beneath them leaning against a stony pillar near the stables, his Ice-blue eyes stared sharply back to Varus and chiseled looks complemented with the shadows of the night and moon. He had removed his Grey doublet he wore all day for a silk tunic and trousers with woven hay slips on his feet. "Indeed." Varus smiled back, "I may have a brain but I also need to train my sword play. If I had to say, all of you may be better than me at it."

"That's an understatement my friend." Marcus laughed, "We're far superior from you. But your brain and strategies out do us all together." Marcus flatted his hand on Lion and stroked its neck gleaming into its eyes, such a beautiful horse that Marcus always admired. "I plan to catch up with Norman and his party- slay some monsters and maybe after I can rest in my chambers." Varus slammed his visor down with a hard _clank_, "I'll see you soon Marcus." Varus said with his muffled voice under the visor.

Varus rode hard and fast through the stony roads inside the city of River Tower. The dead of night left no person outside in the markets and alley ways but inside their homes instead for their own rest. The guards seemed relaxed today at their posts and atop the walls overlooking the lands of the city. They waived Varus through the iron enforced gate, chains brought it up as it opened for Varus trying to catch up to Norman's party. He could see them, their torches lit up their pathway from where Varus could see from outside the city, he galloped towards them as fast as Lion could take him, "Who goes there?", one of the knights shouted from the rear of the party shining his torch towards Varus's direction, "Your liege lord." Varus popped his visor up to show his face to the party, "Forgive me M'lord. I did not know." The knight said ruefully. "There is nothing to forgive, you kept your guard up and did your duty by announcing uninvited bodies towards the party." Varus reassured the knight. "Will you be joining us today M'lord?" Norman said ahead of the party, "aye, I need to slay something and maybe I could sleep for today." Varus's heavy thoughts still lingered on his mind and he still didn't know what it was and the only way he thought may take it away was to keep his mind occupied with something of a heavy stimulating activity. But that is not the case now a days with the monsters of Eupira. The zombies and skeletons take no challenge but more of use to make squires learn how to swing their sword to something that moves, spiders on the other hand were feared throughout Eupira. Large black bodies with gleaming red eyes that glow in the darkest depths of corners where moon light does not shine through. The worst were cave spiders, smaller in stature but deadlier for their speed and poison they give out if bitten; luckily they are only found in the deepest depths of caves where sun light does not shine and their green eyes linger inside the darkness.

They rode gracefully with small gallops and a good pace behind them. The looks and feel of stern arose from around Varus, his presence with the party made the men tense and unrelenting to fumble themselves in this quest to fight some monsters. Maybe today one of the squires riding with their knights may be knighted if Varus sees their valor against the monsters. Varus was the oldest in the party- Norman second to him only by three years. Overhead behind large rocks and boulders atop a hill was Kork Village, settled between a passages of two large mountains. It was a decent in size and population but the poverty seems to be absent here from all places but most like other villages they aren't really affected from poverty like the cities of Midpoint or so now: The cities of North and Southpoint.

The horses settled in the village stables but some had to be lassoed to some poles outside due to the cramped and limited space in the stables. Fifteen men in the party was decent size to venture out into the darkness and fight off roaming monsters lurking near villages and vacant spaces of land that may pose a threat if they get too comfortable in that vacant land. "A spiders nest rest over to the corner of the mountains northeast from here. It's a heavy bunch I tell you, fifteen men may be enough but their spider webs may overwhelm your party. Just a few days ago a group of free riders and vagabonds tried to fight off the spiders together. I think they were a total of twenty together. Maybe less. None were killed in the action but they were considerable injured and left here once they were good to go. I think one of them stayed, would you like to speak with him, and maybe he can give valuable information." An old villager man said to Norman. Varus followed the party to the Inn where the supposed vagabond is resting at. The creaky wooden floor ached with every step they took in. Hay was spread out across the floor, even some of the stone walls creaks held some hay straws between them.

The vagabond sat in the corner of a table eating a roasted chicken legs and chopped onions with bread on the side and a tankard of dark beer. He wore boiled leather bounds and cotton trousers, very casual for the night inside a dimly lit inn. His dark amber hair covered his eyes before he swung his head back to relief his eyes from the annoyance of his hair. He looked older than Varus by a few years, his face was sharp but left much to say about his dull brown eyes. "Come. Share my table." He said with a grin that gleamed with an _invitation_ to Norman's party, "It won't be long. We just need to know about the spiders nest northeast of here. Anything we should know? We will be heading over that way." The vagabond's eyes grew duller from the question. "We killed about twenty of them. There were many of them that showed up after we lit the nest asunder. Many eggs were destroyed from the outside of the cave. Overwhelmed and defeated we retreated out from the inner cave. The nest still lingers inside the cave, I don't know how many there are inside. But I will say this: Do not touch the webs hanging from the rocks or ceilings, you'll be caught like a fly in a spider's web. My friend, Troff, his shoulder was unexpectedly caught by a thick string of it, he swung in the air when he struggled to get loose. Luckily he survived after we cut him down which was only after the fight was over. Lucky to survive, unlucky to have one less man to fight against the spiders and Troff wasn't the only one to get caught, many others were too." The vagabond spit out the bones of the chicken and drank the beer off his tankard before finishing, "That's all I can give you. I know nothing else and all the others from that day have gone and left."

"Thank you." Norman said leaving the Inn with his party. "This seems a bit too much to fight against Norman," Varus said, "Some of these squires are only fourteen years old. You can't expect them to fight against spiders-zombies and skeletons maybe but this is too much for them." Norman looked at Varus confused from his urge not to fight, "M'lord, why do you speak to me as if I'm the main leader here. You could just tell us no and we'll be on our way." Varus placed his palm on Norman's shoulder, "Because this is your party and you must learn to lead and make decisions by yourself." Norman's eyes watched over to the young squires huddled about near them, he could see it in their faces that many of them weren't ready for the spiders nest. "Okay, we set off to fight a group of zombies and skeletons if we find them." For a brief moment Varus could have sworn he saw some relief on the squire's eyes when Norman decided off the nest.

Varus took in rear of the party agreeing to be the look out for them from behind. They've set off for six miles off the village and their speed as quickened. The monsters have not showed themselves yet, only the red eyes off the tall peaks of the mountain loomed over them in the shadows lurking and stalking them. "Hey, do you think just maybe the reason we are finding less and less zombies and skeletons every now and then is because of the spiders?" A young squire said, "What are you getting at?" another but yet older squire asked, "Just think about it. Spiders will eat anything that has meat on it if caught in their webs and they live in caves, correct? And zombies and skeletons turn to those dark caves when the sun light hits the ground…what if the spiders are taking over Southpoint or the entirety of the mountains?" The party stopped in its tracks soon after the squire said that, Varus gave a glance to the squire that said it. He was afraid that he could be right and that the possibility isn't too far off of being impossible but it gave Varus shivers and the others probably got shivers from it too. "These mountains stretch from Southpoint to the end of Polasis…" Varus murmured. He gave it some thought of the possibility and maybe Polasis is facing the same lack of monsters in their land, if true then it is truly urgent and must require immediately attention by the Kingdoms neighboring the mountains.

"Zombies, look." A knight said, pointing towards the group of them. Possibly twenty-five of them in the group and three skeletons behind them in a quick glance. "Steady your arm when you ride past them and swing it when you get there, remember, timing is key." Norman said to one of the squires near him. They lined up in a single row, "Circle around them. If you got a shield, fend off the skeletons with the bows." From the darkness an arrow lashed out and struck Varus's helm _pinging_ off leaving only a scratch on it. "Piece of shit- Never mind. The skeletons are mine." Varus said fiercely.

Their swords unsheathed in unison, Varus sword, _Lust_ shined brightly amongst the moonlight as well did the squires and knights shield and armor. "Charge!" screamed Norman. The formation of the line expanded from the sides circling the monsters, an arrow struck one of the squire's horse and left him slogging through the dirt and grass by foot. The screeches of the zombies howled through the night sky, they held their rotting hands tight to their, swords, maces and battle axes. Varus struck the head off a skeleton before he shot another arrow to him or his horse. The bones fell hard to the ground hearing the snap of its ligaments that still held it up before it struck down and down the other two went with another turn and swing from Varus's sword. Two more squires were on the ground now fighting in close combat with the zombies, one struck down a zombie gracefully but the other was taken away from him when a knight passed by swinging its head off with a single clean stroke. The squire cursed at the knight and the knight laughed away to fight another. A zombie Varus confronted blindsided him with the flat of its sword, he lost balance off his horse and saddle falling over to the dirt with a_ slam_ from his chest. He crawled back adjusting the view of his visor which got crooked on the fall; Lion fled away from the battlefield and the zombie wore full plate armor and its visor still intact, its growls muffed under it. It was the only zombie in full plate armor. The squires and knights had been avoiding it during the entire battle. Varus sheathed _Lust_ and grabbed a mace from a zombie near him, lucky to be sure and Varus knew it too, a mace conveniently being there during a fight with a full plated armored zombie.

Varus let the mindless zombie strike first with its nicked-rusty sword and gave a grand slam to the zombie's helm at the center of its temple. The mace blunted the armor and the _clank_ went in with a _crunch_ of its skull leaving the zombie motionless before falling down, the dent to its temple was closed in so far into it. He gave a sigh of exhaustion and took a look around. The battle was over, he was the last to finish. Three horses were dead and one of the squires had an arrow shaft inserted into his inner shoulder. "Bloody hell." He cried. No tears though, but it did give him a good hurting but he was taking it well for his young stature. "First injury?" Norman asked, "Yes."

"Prepare for more of those in the future." Norman snorted. Varus called Lion back as it galloped towards him, he looked fine and untouched which Varus was thankful for. "Guys!" one of the knights called out. Everyone came to his side, he was using the torch light to get a better look at the dead monsters, and Varus noticed what the knight noticed too. The zombies and skeletons were filled with cobwebs and strings around its faces and bones, one of the zombies arm was completely stuck to its side with webs. Even the zombie with full plate armor was covered in them when they shined light to his armor. Varus looked back at the squire who mentioned about the possibility of a spider infestation and back to the mountains where red eyes by the thousands gleamed at them before disappearing into the shadows of the mountains, "Oh, fuck me." Varus said intimidated.


	6. Roman (2)

A Culture formed for thousands of years

First in this world

And all they had learned

The Black destroyed it all alike

And the Palm never let loose

**_－From "A Song for the Elves" by an Unknown Bard_**

There were no books to read along the ship and the blue sea waves were all Roman could stare at amidst Crossers Bay for it was the only sort of entertainment. None the less of the man dumping out his chamber bucket down the sea with clunky splashes and turning that area of the ocean brown until it faded away over time. Eight days at sea and eight more days left to reach HighStone - if the winds and ocean waves were kind to him and the people in the ship and a other sixteen days or longer when leaving HighStone and going back to Black Harbor. _Pitiful_, Roman thought. This was Romans longest time he's ever spent out in the sea bed eating nothing but hard salty jerky that will turn your mouth to a desert and it was the only source of food from the sailor's rations and plenty of it. His clothes reeked of his body odor but he wasn't alone, every one stunk of their own body odor others more than some. Luckily everyone on board had a second spare of clothes to wear, even the ship guards had extra for under their armor but Roman hasn't changed out of his first set yet.

Jessi had finally controlled her stomach a few days ago, she had been howling and bellowing her stomach out for three days after sailing. After that, the advice of eating while at sea from Yorick paid off for her. Her stomach had settled along with the sea waves and finally agreed with each other. Yet…her breath did give out a foul odor despite her beauty, many men would keep away from her solely for her breath could kill. Yorick on the other hand was the only one who would talk with Jessi out of Roman and Norge themselves. Yorick always seemed flirty with Jessi from what Roman could tell. Yorick will always approach her with apples but now those are finished, so he approaches with jerky for her to eat. Surely, Yorick could smell her breath and deter from her immediately but he didn't. Unlike Roman, he would keep a distance from her when speaking and face the other way or pretend to be intrigued by the sea so he wouldn't face her and have her breath flow to his nose and Norge had that face mask he always wore so he that would block out his niece's breath out. Roman also kept his distance from Norge whom wouldn't speak to each other since the sailing except from the orders Norge gave him to help out the sailors work the ship and sails. Norge set him in the journey in the first place and if it weren't for Norge, Roman could be back home eating food made by Hork himself…eat with Piper too…but instead he has to eat what he has in the ship and that's hard jerky.

"Roman." Norge called out from above the quarterdeck. He was looking at a map along with the Captain of the ship on a table, a short man compared to Norge and slim yet posed with muscle on his arms and legs but very ugly. "Bring me Jessi." He commanded. Roman searched away for her: He searched beneath the deck and the hammocks, asked Yorick if he might know where she is, "Sorry, I haven't seen her for a good while." The ship wasn't grand or massive at all, it shouldn't be too hard to find a fuzzy amber haired girl trotting about. After fifteen minutes of searching, in the end, it was Jessi who found Roman instead, "My uncle awaits atop the quarterdeck. He doesn't seemed pleased." Roman cringed at the stench of her breath. "Where were you? I've been looking for you?" Roman asked trying his best to not be angry because this delay of searching will get him an earful with Norge now. "They walked back together to the quarterdeck, "I was walking around, looking around, but for some reason no one would want to conversate…" _I know the reason why_, Roman thought. In thought, they must have walked in circles when he searched for her before Norge found her first. They reached to the table with Norge glaring at Roman fiercely but Roman wouldn't flinch or look away, Instead he stared back waiting for something to come out muffled beneath Norge's mask. "I sent you out to find a girl and bring her back here quickly, instead I find my niece before you do."

"Leave him alone uncle, we must've walked in circles when he searched for me." Norge let out a muffled _'Hmph'_ and continued his talk with the Captain. Sitting beside him eating a plate of the salty jerky and a cup of water to wet his mouth. "The wind has been kind to us these past few days and given us speed to our destination. We may arrive over to HighStone in perhaps six days at least unless the wind deceives us." Jessi loomed over the map pointing at it, "We're right here, in the middle of Crossers Bay," Her pointed finger settled in the middle where it laid between the Wildlands of Paslus, Highstone's impassible mountains in the front and Versilia's Silent Forest, a forest so dense that it animal life doesn't exist there. "By any means we must not go down under." She said. "Why is that? We may be able to reach the Korpus Islands and maybe get some supplies and rations. The men are in dire need of something else than salty jerky." The Captain said swinging a long piece of jerky over his head. "It's too expensive and also dangerous."

"How so? We can set in land at Rocky Harbor after coming from the Korpus Islands and you lot can travel to the Witches Groove by foot and we can stand by waiting for you until your return."

"The lands of Eupira still crawl with monsters from the Red Dawn and some of those monsters reproduce, not to mention we don't know the land."

"Then we set in land, grab our supplies and return to sail and travel around." Jessi pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted her eyes, "You stupid fucking swine." She murmured but the Captain didn't hear her but Roman sure did. He let out a little laugh and said it was _"nothing" _when confronted for what was funny by the Captain. "Tell me, Captain Morgan. How many days did it take to reach us to where we are right now?" She asked. "Eight days." he replied, unsure where she's getting at, "And how many days will it take to reach down to the Korpus islands?"

"Maybe Three days at most."

"And if they don't give you supplies or have any to sell?"

"We sail for Rocky Harbor that's most likely six days away from the first Korpus Island we are nearest to."

"And how many days will it take for us to reach Witches Bay after getting our supplies and sail around?" The captain paused after that, he thought it about and was most likely embarrassed how a young girl outsmarted him. "…twel-"She interrupted him, her voiced deepened with a tone full of vexation. "Twelve days! And once we're done and get back to the ship to return to Black Harbor you'll have to pay extra for supplies and rations-which you can't buy because we only have enough money to buy one time stock for supplies!" Roman peered a look at Jessi impressed from her stern attitude, _did she get that attitude from her father?_ Roman thought. It seemed uncertain though, her father was laid back and too full of enjoyment to get it from him. Perhaps her mother maybe? Yet, Roman barely noticed that no mention of her mother had conjured during the time of knowing her since nor has he seen her either. Curious none the less but Roman didn't want to pry into it too long. "Perhaps my father was wrong for hiring you as the ship's captain if you have such disdain to maintain a certain course of sail and knowledge of time and expense…" The Captain sat there flustered afterwards, no words, no saying, no picking or eating either from his jerky filled plate. Even some of the men nearby gazed their eyes on the Captain and Jessi. Norge stood up from his seat assessing the tension Jessi has reeled up with the embarrassment of the Captain, "What are you waiting for? Sail to Witches Groove." He told the man behind the wheel of the ship and the other men to start moving about and on with their work. "You're good to go, Jessi… and you too, Roman." Norge told them.

Jessi trotted down the stairs with Roman following behind to the lower deck. "Quite a display up there." Yorick said leaning on the railings of the deck and chewing on jerky. "Was it bad?" Asked Jessi, feeling ignominious after what happened. "On the contrary, it was quiet impressive," Yorick grinned, "I've sailed with this captain for some time now. Back and forth from the ports of Dragon Harbor in Versilia and back again. He really doesn't know time or money management. Im quiet impressed none the less, he has the position still-He's an oaf but the man means good though, do the job and do it right type of man. Except for the money part." _Will the captain do something to get revenge or embarrass her for what she did?_ Roman thought. "Is the man spiteful?" Roman asked curiously, "None at all. He learns from the embarrassment and mistakes. This isn't his first time. At least, with me onboard. The first time it was-"

"Enough of the past stories Yorick." Norge said sliding his rough fingers beside the rail. "Go help out with the sails." Yorick gave a salute and walked off calling to a sailor for any help he can do. Jessi also followed Yorick by Norge's command. "Yorick is good man. A strong man…he follows orders from his highers. You'll never be the man he is, by your stand it'll take years before you can reach him and by then, he'll still be the bigger man." _Here he goes_, Roman thought. Another banter on how Roman went on his own accord during the fight with the zombie. He truly wished he would leave him alone after that, they won, they lived, he should be thanked…instead he's forced to come along in the journey to Witches Groove by his command, "Oh, what do you want me to say Norge?" Roman flung his arms around expressively before leaning towards the rail looking out to the sea, "Im sorry? I messed up? I should've followed orders?" Norge leaned, his back against the railing and his eyes on the ship's deck watching the sailors move about, "You're cocky." Norge gravely said, "I hate cocky people, let alone those who wield a sword." A long silence stood in the wind, sailors howled and barked. The smoothing sea waves gliding through the ship's bow. "There was this scout among my group." Norge broke the silence, "His name was Tommen. Young guy, he was seventeen at the time-I was twenty-five. Cocky little shit too. I barely got promoted to leader of a scouting group during the war by Emperor Tash himself. We'd be sent out to do reconnaissance on the rebels and their hideouts or camps. Everyone followed my orders…except for Tommen. He was always daring and risk taking, never got caught sneaking around enemy camps. He would sneak up and steal plans, rations, weapons, you name it. He'd come back to me with what he got and scream about how 'Luck' is always on his side." Norge paused, lost in his thoughts during that time. "Before long there was a large camp we were looking out for. We were losing the war, underestimated the new weapon they acquired, we needed big information…Tommen, always believing in luck went in deep into the camp, despite my orders not to go in. He stumbled upon battle plans which would prove useful for the war…he fumbled and crashed down a hill breaking his legs and yelped from the pain. Before long the rebels noticed his scream and sent out to get him…my team and I watched from a distance, ordering them to cover fire when I fetch Tommen out. My horse ran fast as it could but the rebels threw in a barrel of what suppose was either TNT or full of gunpowder and set it ablaze rolling down that hill where Tommen was…I don't know why I didn't stop and turned back. Maybe I just couldn't bear to watch him die helplessly like that…without a glimpse of hope…soon after the barrel blew up right on his face, I was a few feet away from him. Half of my bottom face came off from the explosion and my men pulled me out before the smoke cleared up from the field. Now I wear this mask as a reminder from that time." Norge turned to look at the waves of the sea trying to see a reflection of his face in the water, "I honestly can't remember how I used to look before that…But I still remember Tommen's face before the explosion took him." Norge said, his eyes seemed dull looking at the water, "His face showed so much at the time, Fear, helplessness…regret. Therefore I never let a man do something so risky ever again, no matter how good they are and hated cocky soldiers. Back at the Wildlands when you killed the zombie I saw a Tommen for short second and then back to you. 'Luck'"

Roman took a second to take in the information. The story truly showed Roman Norge's past and his reasons behind this entire punishment ordeal. But, he was curious of one thing, why tell him amidst the travels to HighStone now? Why not when they travel back to Black Harbor after the punishment is over? He truly needed to ask Norge, "Why tell me the story now?" Norge peered towards the west seeing nothing but blue sea and waves, he looked as if he was expecting the mountains of HighStone to show up in the horizon by now. "Because Eupira reeks with monsters we've never faced in our lives and if we stumble on some I don't want you being cocky on the situation at hand and end up getting killed. I don't need to see another bastard haunting my dreams and mind." With that, Norge took his leave without another word; leaving Roman to think about the story he just told. _Cocky_, rung around Roman's head. At much thought Roman could see it now. He has been cocky for the longest time he can remember since living and training in the Border Fort but it'll take some time before the _cockiness_ can leave his body.

A shout came above the mainmast, "Storm!" The deck came awake with the shouts of sailors hurrying to their positions and even guards who lazed around sprung up in the hectic commotion. Roman peered towards the south where the men were pointing at in discomfort at the size of the dark clouds looming closer to them. Roman's heart rose steadily, he's never been in sea during a storm and the stories he's heard about these sea storms truly frighten him just from a story perspective but this…this is real and this will be his first time. "Help me out boy!" A sailor shouted from the Mainsail pulling on ropes fiercely and held them strong. The winds were picking up and the sea waves grew more violently within every second, "Hurry!" he shouted again. Roman dashed towards him trying not to bump into the other sailors constantly, he held the ropes of the mainsail but couldn't understand as the sailor loosened and tightened ropes on it but whatever to help was good enough in his mind. "Boy!" The sailor shouted with much haste after finishing. The fast winds were making it hard to hear for everyone with its constant howling in their ears, "Close all the doors and cellars so water won't seep inside the ship!" Roman rushed to the deck where laid a large cellar door in the center of it, yet…there was a problem. The cellar door had dozen of small square holes on them with no closings for them. Roman gave a quick glance south, the dark clouds and its dark misty rain that spore under it loomed in ever much closer. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, what do I do with this?" Roman murmured, the cellar door was too large for a single piece of clothing to cover it, he needed a tarp and quick. Luckily, the heavy crates settled next to the railing held olive colored tarps underneath some snug ropes; he drew his sword slashing the ropes off and releasing the tarp to use on the cellar door. He threw over the tarp atop the cellar door and used the same heavy crates to hold the four ends and sides to prevent it from flying away. Small bits of openings formed around the tarp but it will do. He still had a job to do with all the other doors and cellars but the center cellar had to be done first. He closed every door, every nook and cranny he could find, examine each one to be sealed tightly as best they can for minimal water to flow through them. "Here it comes! Hold on!" a voice cried out in the chaos of the ship. The droplets of the rain crashed hard and fiercely. Its droplets falling hard enough to flinch with every hit. Thunder roared atop of them and the waves became as violent as ever. The ship crashed with every wave and zoomed up and down that felt like this ship won't hold much longer. "What do we do?" Roman asked Yorick, he was holding on tightly to a rail as the ship rocked along the violent waves, "We hold it out. Survive! And don't fall off!"

Lighting flashed all around them and it was constant with its loud thunder echoing through their bones and skins. One thunder was so loud and hard that Roman felt its vibrations to his heart, he did not like the feeling of it, clenching his chest as it happened. Roman held on to the mainmast pole's ropes that sat underneath at the bottom, it was snug and fitted well to his palms, easy to hold on to for the rest of the storm. It was scarce to see with the rain hitting everyone's eyes and the dark clouds giving no light and sea water flowed throughout the entirety of the deck as waves collided and landed atop of the ship. Some water was sitting around and not just a bit. It was forming puddles atop the deck and that's when Norge came to Roman trying not to slip away with the water, "Grab this bucket," He handed Roman a wooden bucket, his black mask sucked into his bottom face showing the deformation of it, "Others and I are throwing out the water from the deck back to the sea. And for the love of the End, don't fall off." Norge carefully ran along the deck to a puddle and started throwing it out, with no choice, Roman obeyed and did the same with other sailors and guards who helped along.

Unexpectedly, the ship rocked violently to Roman's side of the ship and the sailor near him leaned on the rail to hard when it happened and held on the ledge of the rail with one hand, the sea ready to swallow him up from under, "Help!" he cried out. Roman reached out to him holding his arm but he couldn't pull up the sailor, his legs were practically dangling as well from the rail and slowly leaned more forward every passing second he held on to the sailor. Yorick grabbed on to Roman's legs and pulled him back from his shoulders and despite with the slippery wet deck he was able to up Roman and the sailor both. They were lucky Yorick was there to catch them, "Thank you, Yorick!" Roman huffed and puffed.

Adrenaline had kicked in his system and he was jittery soon after. They continued on working and trying with the water, _so much for hanging on and doing nothing else_, Roman thought. Working to throw back the water with the violent shakes and rocking of the ship near the rails was "_near death_" as Roman would put it. His jerkin and boots became completely soaked and made him heavy but at the very least it covered the smell of his dirty odor from these past few days at sea along with everyone else's stench. The storm continued for another two hours and the afternoon sun parted the clouds shining the ship and parts of the sea with its rays from the parted clouds. Everyone was exhausted, Norge lazily sat on the mainmast pole with his back on it, Yorick slowly walked to every sailor and guards to see if they were all right, Roman's legs were cramping and his arms tired and sore from throwing the water out contuinesly for two hours after the adrenaline left his body and he leaned his back on the railings to ease it with the weight of the water on his jerkin holding him there. Jessi was holding on tightly to the ship's Captain, shivering and afraid to fly away during the storm, _how long was she on him?_ Roman thought. "Aye girl, ye can release your grip from my legs now." She wouldn't let go, "Where did the Jessi from the quarterdeck go?" Roman sneakered.

"So!" The captain yelled out, trying to ignore that Jessi was still holding on tightly to his legs. "Pretty fun, aye!" silence loomed around the ship and men until a sailor began to giggle and turned to a hard laugh and the men around the ship began to laugh and spread throughout with laughter and cries of joy; _yips_ and _whoops_ heard throughout from the men. Even Roman cried out laughing along with the men, the feeling of surviving the storm was truly something to laugh at after but Roman didn't know why, maybe it was because everyone else was laughing after the surviving it.


	7. Marcus

"With the help of Witches during the Red Dawn, Highstone welcomed them into the land and allowed them to study more on their potions and crafts in Witches Grove and form their guild. Even those who are most wise from the Witches guild may be allowed to council the Lords and Kings of Highstone."

**_－From "Events after Red Dawn for children Vol 1" by Elric Haret_**

"Quick, Marcus! We have an urgent meeting atop the tower again." QuPic said peaking his head out from behind Marcus's chamber doors.

Drowsy and groggy he stumbled upon his dim room looking for his tunics and shoes to put on and splashing water from his basin to his face setting the minimalist amount of effort to be presentable for the meeting as it was urgent. Up the stairs to the top of tower he briskly took to make time and not lose a step over the stairs as the trip falling will be long but luckily the railings helped with his balance. He entered the room. Varus sat beside the large window looking over the city as he always does. Norman, a young knight stood next to Varus looking vigilant as always. Odd though as it was for Marcus; he has never seen Norman in the room before or ever in face. His curiosity for this urgent meeting has reached its peak for him.

Taking his seat, he realized no plates of food or goblets nor even the servants were present to this matter. "You must forgive me my lords. I know this meeting must have been a disturbance to you in your daily tasks," Varus says, "or late sleep schedules of the day." Marcus knew that last line was directed to him. He had slept late and now it was the afternoon with everyone else except Marcus looking much more presentable.

"But none the less. This is truly urgent." Varus exhaled. "Late last night, I rode with Norman and his group to fight monsters. In the end of it all and finishing them off we caught sight of the zombies' armor covered in webs and the direction they came from was of the mountains that lay between our lands. The dark night gave pure darkness in the corners and edges of the mountains and between those gaps- we saw hundreds maybe even more red eyes stare back at us."

"But what does it matter?" said Jared, his face grim and annoyed, "What does this have to do against your brother. We are not here to fight off these creatures, we're here to fight against your brother, to fight for the kingdom's throne. This squabbling about spiders is meaningless."

"I understand your frustration with this matter, Jared." Varus assured him, "But we can't let this type of matter go out of hand. The Red Dawn happened over one hundred and seventy years ago. Who knows how long and how many spiders have multiplied over the century and a half? We don't even how long the spiders nest reign along these mountains. They may even reach the end of the mountains of Polasis." Varus took a deep breath while Jared still loomed from Varus's left side of the table, his brown eyes ever staring back, "We cannot risk a potential threat to our very kingdom nor the other kingdoms while it lurks in the mountains watching over us. Perhaps it's also waiting for us."

"Preposterous! How can measly spiders destroy our kingdoms? They have no battle plans of any. You are blowing this out of proportion! If you want them done for then hire some mercenaries and set them out to destroy this foe." Varus and Norman shared a glance before looking back towards the group in the table. "That is the thing in fact. We visited a village between the mountains to check for any sightings of monsters, they said a spider nest disturbs them and vagabonds tried to take the spiders out near the village...they failed." Varus said solemnly.

Now the air in the meeting room has taken a turn of taking this matter serious from its weight. "How many vagabonds?" asked Marcus from his corner. "About 30 and one of them was left behind and we asked him questions about it. I don't recall ever asking his name or I must have forgotten...Norman, do you recall his name?"

"No, I don't believe I do. Although, he did mention his friend named Troff, M'lord." a few curious glances gazed back and forth among each other by the older members of the meeting which were Marth, Jared, and Dane. They have lived longer than Varus's father by a good decade or so. "Did you catch Troff's last name perhaps?" Dane asked. "No, I didn't, M'lord." said Norman. "But why his last name?" asked Varus. "Curious...It may not be him, but it could be the same man who traveled with your father during his younger times. Back when he joined a mercenary group who traveled and took back the South Channel Fort from the monsters that inhabited there." said Dane

"Yes, I know of that story. Although I never got to read his account of his own on it. Only tales other will tell me or what he will tell me himself. "

"If we can find Troff and find out if he truly is Troff from your father's past we can use his help to fight against these spiders." said Dane

"What good is one man against hundreds or thousands of spiders?"

"Not just one man! He is of House Caster from Polasis, his brother is Henrey the leader of the old mercenary group who reclaimed the Fort for himself and had the king of Polasis grant him an honorable hold title for it. He is a lord with a decent sized army behind him and the King of Polasis is his cousin."

"Truly? If true that he is his cousin, why did he need a mercenary group he had to form on his own to reclaim a Fort? Why did his cousin not help?" asked Marcus

"Because Polasis doesn't hold any amazing resources. Their kingdom is dependent on quarry for stone extraction and mining coal. They're the poorest Kingdom on Eupira. They could not afford to go." said Marth.

"Alright. We'll have to get a hold of Troff then. But it'll be too long a wait to send out a party to search for him while we sit around waiting for an answer." Varus said, "Norman and I will be setting out to Polasis and speak to Parcel Goldleaf about this matter of spiders. Not just us alone though, we'll be accompanied by a good group of fifty knights along with us for the road ahead."

"My Lord? What about the gathering It is an important event!" said Syther.

"He is right! Send out a Raven then and wait for a response from them. Why strain yourself by traveling over there?" Dane said.

"Like I said, the wait is too long for a serious matter such as this, so waiting is something I can't do, and the gathering isn't until a month from now, so we still have time. You will send out a raven none the less though. Peter, you have the best penmanship here p, please write to King Goldleaf this:

_Varus of House Pride is traveling to your domain for an urgent meeting with King Goldleaf and his council._

_And please call upon your cousin Henrey from the South Channel Fort. Tell him the person calling is Kylo Pride's son._

_He will be traveling with a group of about fifty knights for the journey._

"That should be enough for the message. By the time you send that out we should be heading out towards there. I have already prepared the men traveling with us and the knights who were grouped with us shall travel along too, even the squires." Everyone lounged around in their seats seemingly agreeing with what Varus has said and Peter finished writing the message for the raven to be sent, "I'll be sending this to raven master, my lord." He said before leaving through the door and his footsteps faded as he descended the steps. "That won't just be it." Varus added looking at Marcus's direction, "I need you, Marcus, to lead a front of about a good one hundred men to a spider nest at Kork Village and find if the same vagabond is still there. If he is, question him about Troff and his whereabouts. Bring about one hundred men to the nest to destroy it. If you can, bring oil drums to set alight the cave of their nest." Marcus nodded to his command and awaited further instructions. Varus stood up looming over the table, "QuPic, you will be in charge under my stead and that may be up to a full week or even longer before I return." He nodded to QuPic and the others. "If there is anything else you need to say my Lords, now would be the time." Everyone sat quietly hinting the gesture that nothing else had to be said or questioned.

They soon left the room one by one after Varus. Marcus made his way to the barracks in the east side of the city to call upon the men. He will only let volunteers arise to this feat and he will not force anyone to join if the number of men reach to a hundred as Varus told him to him raise. The men flocked to his call for an opportunity to get some glory under their belts, there was no need for forcing today. He met Varus outside the city gates on his horse with Norman and the fifty other knights joining him soon after telling the one hundred men he rose to ready up for their march to Kork Village, "How do you think the meeting will go in Grandatel?" he asked Varus. "Hopefully, they will understand the urgency of the matter and if they do- well, I pray to the Mother and Father it doesn't get any worse than it is over here."

Marcus gripped his hand firmly betraying no emotion, "Travel safe and keep your guard up, my friend."

"As will you." Varus and the others rode off leaving only the dust behind from their gallops.

"Excuse me, M'lord." A young voice called out behind him. A squire, youngest he's seen, most likely fourteen draped in boiled leather armor and an iron round kettle atop his head. His face still bore innocence of young kid. How solemn Marcus dreaded seeing those type of faces. "We've loaded four barrels of oil into the wagon would that be enough?"

"Aye, but a bit too much. Just leave two on there." The squire nodded and quickly left behind the corner and disappeared between citizens in the streets. Perhaps it was time for Marcus himself to get off his green tunics and prepare his armor.

The men were ordered to wait outside the gates in two columns parallel to the wagon in the dirt road.

Marcus, last to exit the gate boarded the wagon on the passenger side looking back where two decently large sized barrels of oil stood barracked by planks of wood to keep it from wobbling or falling. The sun razed down from the sky at its very peak, he checked his men and prepared the march down the road to Kork Village. They made great haste towards the village all men spaced out parallel to the wagon keeping a good distance between each other as well. They led their horses as fast they could, and hours spent before the reached Kork Village.

Villagers looked about on the large group of men who rode outside their village, curious on what they are doing here. Whispers began around the children of the village seemingly as if the men are here to recruit them for their next squire but that is not the case here. "What brings you here M'lord?" a village elder asked. "On behave of Lord Varus of the River Tower, we are here to destroy the spiders nest disturbing your village." The elder's eyes grew large and full of hope, "Truly, M'Lord? Thank you. Few Vagabonds have tried but failed miserably. He led them to the entrance of the spider cave. The outskirts of it was burnt to a crisp and a foul smell of rotten eggs around it. Marcus called up to his second in command, a knight who was shorter than him but just as good with the sword. Talon knew just as much as Marcus knew of commanding soldiers and carrying out battle plans despite being two years younger than him, he leveled up to par in Marcus's eyes. "Bring up the two barrels of oil; uncork one and roll it down this cave after placing the first one in the far deep end of it or in your better judgment as far as you think it a safe perimeter. Talon saluted Marcus with a: "Aye, Ser." and pulled many men and commanded orders. Marcus in the other hand had other plans of finding the vagabond that Varus mentioned about. "A few knights arrived here yesterday. Marcus told the elder. 'Ah yes, I remember. They arrived and talked about the spider nest and then wanted to talk with a vagabond who stayed here at our inn."

"Can you take me to the inn? I have a few words to speak with the vagabond."

"Certainly, follow me if you will."

They walked together towards the inn, its floor filled with hay and even stacked to the stony walls as well. "Come, up the stairs." the elder signaled. The dark amber haired man laid on a pile of hay with his arm covering his eyes from any sort of light that may pass through...despite being the dimmest room out of all of them. "Oi! You've got someone here." The man groaned and slightly opened his eyes to look around the room then at the door, "Who are you? What is it that you need of me?" he asked Marcus. "I need to know the whereabouts of Troff, you mentioned him yesterday to a group of knights."

"Yes, I did. What do you need of him?"

"Lord Varus needs of him. Do you know where he is? may you tell us?"

"Lord Varus? That was him with the knights' party yesterday I didn't even know. Not like I would've, I've never seen him in person until now that I know. What a childish prince. To wage war and force the kingdom to take part in it… if it does happen! Foolish, we have bigger concerns with these monsters than to see who lays their arse on a decorated chair in some hall in IllaicPole. We'll...not like I'm from this Kingdom." Marcus ignored his comment on Varus, although he couldn't be too angry at the man for such a comment either, many lives will be changed if war does come through and the tensions in the hearts of the citizens only grow more dire every passing day. If only they knew why Varus had to do such a drastic action against his brother. "We just need to know where he is. He could help us in a situation we're in."

"Hm...He should be near South Channel Fort by now. But if it's helps, he will be doing with you all, I too would like to join along."

"If you wish, Ser?"

"I'm no Ser. Just a man who wonders around with Troff."

"He's a Lord is he not?"

"Yes? What of it?"

"You don't use formalities with him?"

"He is my friend. Surely if you had a friend who was a Lord you too would just call him by his name and none with formalities?" Marcus could see his reason for that as he too does the same with Varus. "I see. What is Troff to you? How long have you known him?"

"He took me in when my mother died when I was eight. He trained me, raised me right. Once I turned sixteen, he let me join with his little vagabond groups and go around the kingdoms from Polasis, Aries, and Midpoi-… I mean SouthPoint. And here we are. He left with the others back to the Fort and I decided to stay along just in case some of those spiders decided to creep out of their cave and disturb this village. So, what help is needed for 'Lord Varus'? Raise an army to help defeat his brother?"

"No, he fears that the mountains are infested with spiders and wants the help from Polasis to help out with this problem."

"Well! For someone who wants to throw this kingdom into war he certainly knows what's truly important."

"In-deed." Marcus said solemnly. "So then...will you join us in this matter?"

"Certainly!" The Vagabond said gleefully. He stood up slowly, sleeping bones cracking has he knelled up. he laid out his hand to Marcus to shake, "Richard." He shook his hand with a firm grip, "Marcus." he said into his eyes. Richard drew up a bundle under some hay, a sword and some chain mail behind him. "Should we head out?" he asked Marcus. "Lets."

They walked outside looking as the villagers walked about doing their daily duties and Richard noticed the abundance of soldiers roaming around the village but mainly at the far end where the spiders' nest would be. "What are you and your men doing here anyway?" right after he asked a large boom and wave of cheers rumbled about at the end of the village. "Did you destroy the nest?"

"Yes." Marcus said with a grin in his face. Talon came forward to Marcus with a salute stating that the job has been done with minimum injuries from fighting the spiders and how a young squire of fourteen fought valiantly against the spiders inside, "How far did you go?" asked Richard. "Far enough. I stopped at a fork in the cave, two other caves lay inside it. Decided stop there and to uncork and roll the barrel around the cave from entrance to the fork and spill the rest of the first barrel evenly to the other caves and placed the second right between that fork: uncorked it, covered it in oil and after that we lit up the place with a torch from the outside and boom. I don't know how far that explosion may have gone but I certainly say that my stomach is saying that we should leave a garrison in this village overnight...I feel that we may have angered them if we did not kill them all. Who knows how many we disturbed from inside?" Marcus agreed to his suggestion and told him to have half the party stay for the time being and they will bring them supplies once they return to the River Tower. Marcus let Richard aboard the wagon where the oil barrels were being kept and told the man with the rears to head back to the city. Richard got comfortable in the back and stretched his long legs and arms used his bundle as a pillow for his head before they left off. Marcus turned back to see Talon walk away and look to where the smoke from the explosion was. He took heed from what Talon had said before about disturbing the spiders even worse and told the Wagon rider to make 'haste' before striding up into his own horse.


End file.
